Canary Wharf Magazine February 2018

F E B RUARY 2018

Cre at i vit y conquered The symbiosis of art and fashion at work

LIVE

Preview new-season style and beauty lookbooks

LOVE

Embrace the romance of Venice and the Maldives

LAUGH

The best bars, eateries and nights OUT

LEARN

Babies or the boardroom? CAN you have both?

60 60 YEARS YEARS OFOF ADVENTURE ADVENTURE AND AND DISCOVERY DISCOVERY

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4 JUBILEE PLACE . CANARY WHARF . +44 (0)20 7538 2332 LIVERPOOL

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MANCHESTER

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SOUTHPORT

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36 from the editor issue no.

151

February 2018

You’re a better person than I am should you manage to skip into work every morning, having enjoyed the tussle of the commute, to arrive at your desk all revved up for the day ahead.

While we might embrace our career, let’s face it, sometimes you can feel like the proverbial hamster on a treadmill. Which is why I’m often grateful to be stopped in my tracks – thanks to some form of arresting art.

Sometimes it’s the light enhancing the architectural splendours of Canary Wharf, or it may be a particularly talented busker on the Jubilee Line. Mostly however, I am grateful to the corporate curators who help bring rare pieces of art into our everyday domain. These works allow many of us to have a few seconds to pause before the day begins. As Picasso said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

From the incredible light installations to the Rodin bronzes, we have been blessed in recent months. In this issue, we take a peek at the corporate art collections that are on display in a lobby near you. We also discover what it’s like to buy, and sell, a Banksy print at auction and we talk to Terry Gibbins, a city cabbie with a brilliant photographic eye.

Also upfront, on page 16, we debate whether parents with young children should be allowed to bring their kids into work. One Canary Wharf worker told us via Twitter they believed a toddler would probably be better behaved than some of their colleagues. I’m saying nothing.

contents editor’s picks...

30 life through a lens A snapshot of the work of local landscape photographer – and cab driver – Terry Gibbins 36 artists at work The financial companies investing in art collections, and why they do it 48 where watches are made Investigating the art of making modern mechanical timepieces at Blancpain HQ 78 the greatest gadget show on earth The best gadgets to invest in this year

richard brown, managing editor

6

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Changing the game since 1962 For 56 years, A&K has been winning awards by helping discerning travellers discover the world through our tailor-made luxury holidays and unparalleled small-group experiences. We specialise in connecting world wanderers to interesting places, peoples and cultures in real and authentic ways

City by Appointment – we’ll come to you to plan your next holiday

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contents

issue no .

151

Fe b ruar y 2 0 1 8

30

94 REGULARS

12

14

The Agenda

Style her

72

health & fitness

76 beauty 82

purple reign How to incorporate Pantone’s hue of the year into your home

45

life & Style

52 Fogo: An Atlantic Odyssey

This month’s fashion shoot took

place on a rocky and remote island off

Canada’s coast

food & Drink

COLLECTION

45 jewellery

Cupid’s arrow earrings and stackable,

heart-shaped rings make impressive

Valentine’s Day gifts

47 best of british

The UK’s go-to brands for modern

mechanical watches

features

16 should work be a child-free zone?

Discussing the pros and cons of office-

based childcare 32

banking on banksy How a punt on an unknown graffiti artist turned out to be a sound investment

74

no pain, all gain Dr Jonquille Chantrey of Expert Aesthetics on the high-tech beauty treatments to try in 2018

8

98

68

london fashion week men’s As change ripples through the industry, new names come to the forefront

travel 88

A venetian romance The city of bridges proves just as charming the second time around

90

passport to paradise A blissful honeymoon in the Maldives

94 savouring sri lanka

A guide to the country’s culinary offering

78

PROPERTY 118

five-star living at london’s latest riverside destination Luxury apartments overlooking the River Thames

122 investment portfolio

New build homes enhance Canada

Water’s appeal

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28683 Creed Love In White_235x333_Lux Mandarin Mag.indd 1

12/01/2018 12:25

contributors

content director Dawn Alford

managing E ditor Richard Brown

contributing editors

alexander beer

jan jacques

London-born fashion, sports and

Writer and editor Jan Jacques worked

Mhairi Graham Charlotte Phillips David Taylor

a ssistant editor

advertising photographer Alexander

in Canary Wharf as a journalist while

Beer shoots for a wide range of

raising two children. On page 16, she

publications and brands, including

investigates the pros and cons of

GQ, Esquire and Richard James. He

office-based childcare, considering

ART EDITOR

photographed this issue’s fashion

whether more companies should

Laddawan Juhong

shoot against a backdrop of granite

allow parents to care for their

rock and modern architecture, on a

children desk-side, and if this is even

rugged Canadian island.

what working families want.

Melissa Emerson

G eneral Manager Fiona Smith

Production Hugo Wheatley Jamie Steele Alice Ford

Pro pert y D irecto R Samantha Ratcliffe

Julia Zaltzman

Peter Jenkinson

Julia is a features writer specialising

For this issue, Peter compiles a

in luxury lifestyle and yachting.

round-up of the best new tech you’ll

She regularly contributes to a wide

want to get your hands on in 2018,

range of publications, including

as showcased at Las Vegas trade

Robb Report, and is editor of FRASER,

show CES in January. Peter is a

SuperYacht Industry and Natural

technology writer and TV presenter,

Beauty News. In this issue, she advises

who writes for The Telegraph, The

how to introduce Pantone’s 2018

Times and GQ, and has appeared on

colour of the year into your home.

the BBC, Sky and CNBC.

E xecutive D irector Sophie Roberts

E ditor-in- C hief Lesley Ellwood

M anaging D irector Eren Ellwood

Published by

RUNWILD MEDIA GROUP

One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AX

On the cover

T: 020 7987 4320

L.K Bennett’s S/S18 campaign was shot by Spanish photographer Daniel Riera and styled by Caroline Issa.

Shop the collection in Canary Wharf’s Jubilee Place store.

rwmg.co.uk Members of the Professional Publishers Association

O t he r t it l e s p ubl ishe d by RWMG Distributed by L2L 0203 203 0023, an ABC affiliate distributor.

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.

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DAVID M ROBINSON JEWELLERY VALUATION DAY Did you know that most insurers require you to have an up-to-date certificate for all jewellery that you have on your policy?

DAVID M ROBINSON AT JUBILEE PLACE, CANARY WHARF WILL BE HOLDING A VALUATION DAY ON THURSDAY 15TH MARCH 2018 £60 FOR FIRST ITEM | £50 FOR SUBSEQUENT ITEMS (50% NON REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT)

A registered independent valuer from Safeguard will be present on the day. Please allow 10 minutes per item. A full photographic valuation will be sent approximately 10 days after the appointment.

To book your appointment or for more information please contact: london@davidmrobinson.co.uk | 020 7538 2332

T & Cs: Certificated diamonds must be accompanied by the certificate. Complicated items may require a separate consultation and maybe subject to additional charges.

spring clean

The White Company has introduced a new range of scented candles, room diffusers and body and bath products for spring. Inspired by the citrus groves of rural Spain, start the day with a bittersweet orange flower and grapefruit shower gel, or wind down by lighting one of the limitededition fragranced candles, in cashmere (tuberose and jasmine) or linen (eucalyptus and rose).

The White Company, Jubilee Place

the agenda Words: melissa emerson

raise the barre

London’s first barre class on ice is coming to Ice Rink Canary Wharf, led

by DEFINE.London founder Ashley Verma. Flex and point your way through the one-of-a-kind workout before receiving a Sweaty Betty goodie bag and enjoying a plant-based botanical brunch at Plateau.

3 February, £38, icerinkcanarywharf.co.uk

love letter

Monica Vinader has introduced a heart shape to complement the characters of its Diamond Alphabet collection, a series of letters based on Monica’s own handwriting. The pendant – in the same loosely sketched style – is set with pavé diamonds and comes in sterling silver, 18 carat yellow and rose gold vermeil finishes.

From £135, Monica Vinader, Jubilee Place

t h e l at e s t B O O KS step back in time

This historic novel set in 19th century London is a chilling debut from Laura Carlin, who has given up her career in retail banking to become a full-time writer. Murky alleyways and wicked deeds abound.

The Wicked Cometh, £12.99, hodder.co.uk

in the red

In this suitably scarlet tome, Author Joanna Hardy showcases 60 of the world’s most significant and renowned pieces of ruby jewellery, including those from royal and private collections, as well as sharing stories on ancient cutting and polishing techniques.

Ruby, £75, thamesandhudson.com

W E S PY

01 02

a glass half full

Austrian glassmaker Riedel prides itself on designing its glass shapes according to a wine’s profile, rather than on aesthetics alone. Its Fatto A Mano collection pairs moden technology with traditional craftsmanship. The stem and base are made by hand while the bowl is blown using fully automated machinery. Six different shapes – including cabernet and champagne – are available, so you can filter your choice of glass by grape variety. From 2018, a pink-stemmed style joins the range – a perfect excuse to open a vintage this Valentine’s Day. £80 per glass, riedel.co.uk

image credit: KingRobert, courtesy of Shutterstock.com

curtain-up

After a successful run at Bristol’s Old Vic, Jeremy Irons and Lesley Manville have reprised their roles in 20th century Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Long Day’s Journey into Night. Don’t miss it this time.

Until 7 April, delfontmackintosh.co.uk

03

dig deep

Action for Children is hosting its first dragon boat race fundraiser in March. Teams of 10 taking part are asked to raise £2,500, before gathering on the big day at the London Regatta Centre – where the GB Olympic squad train – to take part in a series of races. No experience is necessary, and both corporate and individual fundraising packages are available.

15 March, actionforchildren.org.uk

final countdown

This limited-edition hardback is the latest to join Assouline’s Ultimate Collection, and features the 100 works that Andy Warhol Museum director Eric Shiner believes define the pop artist’s trajectory.

Andy Warhol: The Impossible Collection, £650, assouline.com

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04 05 1. Love Potions chocolates, £10, Hotel Chocolat, Canada Place 2. Cordon Rouge Brut NV Rosé champagne, £45, G.H.Mumm, Waitrose Food, Fashion & Home, Canada Square 3. Casablanca candle, £50, victoriacator.com 4. 2018 Year of the Dog rollerball pen, £258, cross.com 5. Isla fluted champagne coupe pair, £34, rowenandwren.co.uk

13

in her shoes

Olivia Palermo is the face of Pretty Ballerinas this spring, and a capsule collection of her eight favourite styles is now on sale. The brand – which still makes its shoes in the same Menorcan village – also celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

Pretty Ballerinas, Jubilee Place

style her Words: melissa emerson

Linda bag, £1,106, Paula Cademartori, farfetch.com

Arianna bag, £1,428, Paula Cademartori, farfetch.com

Sa

in bloom

Ted Baker’s new In the Palace Gardens collection takes inspiration from the pruned parklands and beautiful blooms of royal palaces.

Rhubarb pink and mint green shades are contrasted with richer tones of teal and gold, with florals depicted in traditional appliqué and photographic prints.

Ted Baker, Canada Place

£1 Ca

a cut above

Paula Cademartori’s Lady Lace collection of shoes and bags features leather that has been intricately cut by lasers to imitate lace. New styles decorated in this way include the Valerie flat sandal and open-back Sissi mule. Or try the towering Bella stiletto after hours. paulacademartori.com

Florien shoes, £553, Paula Cademartori, farfetch.com

top buys Mount Street backpack, £595, Aspinal of London, Cabot Place

michael kors collection s/s18

maison margiela S/S18

trend

in the trenches

Khaki zip-front dress, £169, meandem.com

Shoulderless trench, £1,775, Nina Ricci, farfetch. com

Heart sweater, £380, Robert Rodriguez, harrods.com Leather mules, £49.99, Mango, Canada Place

beach bag

max mara s/s18

Mulberry’s new bag style – the Seaton – is named after a Devon seaside town, and comes in a weathered palette of clay, black, blue and yellow.

Both sizes, the larger of which has an interior compartment to hold a small laptop, are adorned with the new Rider’s Lock hardware.

From £895, mulberry.com

valentino s/s18

Saskia pink trench, £199, Hobbs, Canada Place

dynamic duo

Zip-sleeve trench, £420, Sandro, Jubilee Place

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Supermodels Kate Moss and Gigi Hadid have been photographed together for the first time in Stuart Weitzman’s S/S18 campaign.

Modelling key shoe styles from the new collection, crystal fringes adorn both the white, block-heeled leather loafer with its folded back, and the square-toed satin sandals, which come in black or blush pink. stuartweitzman.com

15

Should

work be a child-free zone?

Are desk-side high chairs and boardroom bedtimes the future for working parents? Writer Jan Jacques investigates if childfriendly offices are the future for Canary Wharf firms

D e b at e

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17

M

ore than a few eyebrows – and some hackles – were raised when historian and author Melanie Reynolds asked: “Why should work be a baby-free zone?” Apparently overlooking the fact that a whiffy nappy can clear an office faster than a fire alarm, she argued the case for bringing our babies and children into work with us.

Writing in The Guardian, she sympathised with parents forced to stay at home. While pointing out that it wouldn’t work on a building site or hospital, she explained: “The idea that taking a baby or young toddler to work might be one of a menu of options would provide further choice for parents facing difficult decisions and reduced income in the first year of a child’s life.

“Ask yourself if it would really be so difficult to buy a frock from a shop assistant with a baby in her arms or sleeping in a swing or sling? Would this stymie anyone’s sales technique? Perhaps we should be shocked to see a new mother in a shop without her new baby rather than with it.”

She’s certainly spot-on about the hard choices some UK parents have to make. According to the Modern Families Index 2017 by childcare organisation Working Families and Bright Horizons, parents suffer from a poor work/life balance. The study found that only 34 per cent of working parents go home on time, and 40 per cent do extra hours in the evenings or on weekends, either often or all the time.

But would taking our bundles of joy into work really help? Canary Wharf working parents have mixed views.

Canary Wharf estate agent Eloise Saunders is mum to eight-month-old Ryder. She drops him at a childminder’s near South Quay at 7.30 each morning.

“I could not imagine being able to work with Ryder in tow. It would be an impossible ask. How on earth could I show clients around properties with him in his pushchair? And how long would I be taken seriously if I even attempted it? Even if I was office-based, it couldn’t work. I would never put my colleagues to that disadvantage of being distracted by a small child.

“I’d love to spend more time with him, only not at work. It would be stressful for me, my colleagues and I suspect for him too. A work crèche for those who work in bigger companies however, would be ideal.”

New dad, 36-year-old asset manager David Drake, laughed at the idea of bringing his 6-month-old daughter into his place of work. “It’s unworkable and,

“I love being a mum, but I also need to be my own person at work.”

frankly, unthinkable. I give 110 per cent to my job when I’m at work. I wouldn’t be able to do that if my daughter, much as I adore her, were there. There must be jobs where this is doable, but mine isn’t one of them.”

For banking recruitment consultant Lesley, 32, there can be no crossover. A nanny looks after her three-year-old son during the day.

She explains: “Work and home need to be separate.

I love being a mum, but I also need to be my own person at work. It’s about being an adult with a separate identity. When I go home, I am mum again.

Do I wish there was a less stressful and less expensive way than leaving him with a nanny and then racing home from the office every evening? Of course, but right now, there is no way around it. Even if I were allowed to bring him in, I wouldn’t.”

London-based family therapist Danae Sykes sympathises with today’s parents. But she points out that too few jobs comfortably accommodate babies and children. She recalls: “A client who arranged to be able to take her 6-month-old into her workplace found the pressure to keep her daughter quiet – so as not to distract colleagues – quite stressful.

“It was difficult for her because she felt she couldn’t concentrate properly on her job or her child. And when the parent is distressed, a child can pick up on that. She told me that no one in that office was in good spirits. It had been a nice gesture from her bosses – but the reality didn’t work.”

The happy medium for parents would of course be an on-site creche. But figures from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development suggest that just five per cent of UK organisations offer childcare in the workplace.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. New initiatives like London-based company Second Home provide another choice. The co-working business set up by new dad Sam Aldenton and former government advisor Rohan Silva is partnered with a childcare provider who takes charge of the crèche that Second Home provides.

For freelance parents, it’s a case of dropping off baby, then working in a quiet office on the premises. Aldenton says: “It’s a completely untapped and unmet demand.”

D e b at e

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19

Credit, currencies & crayons It’s an imposing building, corporate to the back teeth with wall-to-wall marble and a bank of immaculately professional receptionists.

But in the heart of the Goldman Sachs building in Fleet Street is a world of fun, colour and laughter.

The company’s Children’s Centre is the only onsite childcare facility in the Square Mile. Started in 2003 to offer back-up provision for staff, it cares for children between the ages of three months and 12 years. It is one of just a handful of UK businesses that cater for children in the workplace. Others include Microsoft, Royal Mail, government departments and some universities.

Although this is now seen as unusual and a perk, on-site childcare once flourished. In the immediate post-war years, a labour shortage meant that women were needed to work and so mills and factories introduced crèches and nurseries out of necessity.

Dr Laura Paterson, who specialises in the history of women’s employment, says this provision died out in the 50s. “Part-time and flexible working hours reduced the need for workplace nurseries to some extent,” she explained. “Women who worked from the 50s to the 70s tell us that they did part-time jobs when their children were young, to fit around school hours. And they worked in the evening so their

partner could care for their children.”

At Canary Wharf, workers have more options, with a number of Bright Horizons nurseries to choose from.

Its director of Employer Partnerships, Denise Priest, says: “For many working families, having access to high-quality childcare located close to the workplace is invaluable. We have four Bright Horizons nurseries located at Canary Wharf and two nearby at East India Dock. Our families greatly appreciate the peace of mind the nurseries offer to focus on the day ahead, confident in the knowledge that their little ones are only moments away. It also eases the pressure during the morning and evening commutes.”

Employment solicitor Helen Corliss, who specialises in law for working parents, praises Goldman Sachs for taking the nursery in house and says she hopes other employees will follow suit.

“Babies are one thing and we know the first year or two can be hard. But for any parent with school-aged children, finding the right provision can be difficult.

The simple fact is that school children can have 15 weeks a year of holiday – whereas employees only have five weeks, if they are lucky. Central London workers often also don’t have family in the area who can help. I admire companies like Goldman Sachs for doing what they can to help.”

D e b at e

From here to maternity: the facts The UK is one of the best countries to be a working mum in Europe.

A working dad, not so much. According to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, women have the right to take up to a year of maternity leave as long as they’re an employee. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve worked for your employer, how much you’re paid or how many hours a week you work. Agency, casual and zero hours workers aren’t entitled to this.

For dads, the CAB advises that you’re allowed one to two weeks of paternity leave when the baby is born, or if you adopt. To qualify, you need to have had the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the due date, or by the time you’re matched with a child for adoption. You need to be the biological father or the partner of the baby’s mother – but don’t have to be married – as well as be responsible for the child’s upbringing and want to take time off to care for the child or support the mother.

All parents have the right to request flexible working as long as they have been employed by the company for more than 26 weeks.

There are many forms of flexible working. It can describe a place of work, for example homeworking or a type of contract, such as a temporary contract. Other common variations include: part-time working, flexitime, job sharing and shift work.

#Debate @canarywharfmag Should parents be allowed to bring children into work with them full-time? @SaraHayes4 I think so yes.

Colleagues need to be more tolerant @Sillymetoo If my workmates bring in babies, can I bring in my dog?

Women have the right to take up to a year of maternity leave as long as they’re an employee

@JMKL1987 No the actual workplace is not the answer.

More subsidised local nurseries are the way forward @helenpkx1 My boss brings his two-year-old in twice a week. It works well and we all love taking him out for lunch @missJJFox I don’t think it’s a big deal either way – we should all be more tolerant @janep230 My nice boss let me bring in my toddler. Never again. It was carnage @hamishemmett My gut instinct is no! Unless you’re freelance, home and work shouldn’t overlap

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21

be my

valentine Whether you’re looking for a special something for your significant other, sending helpful hints or treating yourself this Valentine’s Day, Canary Wharf has got you covered for ideas

Valentine’s Day Floral Box, £140, Jo Malone London, Cabot Place

canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

@canarywharflondon

Monsoon, Canada Place

Diamond row bracelet, £375, Monica Vinader, Jubilee Place

Concave Sterling Silver and Diamond studs, £475, Links of London, Jubilee Place

DATE NIGHT

silver and sparkly

sticks’n’sushi

Small yet effective, a piece of jewellery can go a long way when it comes to gifting. Whether you choose something a little bit quirky or go for simple and understated, you’re bound to find something stunning in silver.

Raymond Weil Tango watch, £1,295, Goldsmiths, Canada Place

If you fancy something a little different, the sharing sushi platters and exotic cocktails here are unbeatable.

Engagement ring and setting band, £POA, Tiffany & Co., Cabot Place

In the bag....

It has long been acknowledged (by most) that a girl can never have too many bags. For a gift that is special, yet incredibly practical too, invest in her dream bag.

You can’t go wrong if you pick a bag that boasts a classic style and neutral colours.

Choose one with a little more detailing like lasercut patterns - or pick one with a little bit of sparkle.

Plateau

Ridiculously romantic setting and exquisite French food, what more could you ask for this Valentine’s Day?

From top: Quilted Grace bag, £595, Coach, Cabot Place; Brocco clutch bag, £60, Dune London, Cabot Place; Michael Kors Collection satchel, £1,210, Michael Kors, Jubilee Place; Bree clutch bag, £109, Ted Baker, Canada Place

everyman

Say it with rituals

What’s better than one gift on Valentine’s Day? Several gifts. Pick up the Relaxing Riutal giftset and cover all bases. It includes foaming shower gel, shower oil, body scrub and body cream.

Relaxing Riutal gift set, £29.50, Rituals, Jubilee Place

sweet treats

Terre de Lumiere L’Eau, from £49, L’Occitane, Jubilee Place

Whether you pick a scent that’s floral and rich or sweet and fruity. Head to L’Occitane, Space NK, Boots or Waitrose Food, Fashion & Home for endless choices.

For something extra romantic Jo Malone London’s Red Roses Cologne comes in a beautiful box full of roses, freshly cut.

For a date night with a difference, book yourself seats at Everyman Cinema.

Get the popcorn at the ready.

Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf, £99, Waitrose Food, Fashion & Home, Canada Place

canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

@canarywharflondon

Blossom dress, £495, LK Bennett, Jubilee Place

treat her

dress up

Pick up a gift that is a little more risqué for your valentine this year, an investment handbag or choose something gorgeous for the home.

A date night is the perfect opportunity to get dolled up in a outfit that makes you feel confident and shoes to make you feel sexy. Opt for something that accentuates your assets.

Maddoxe heels £85, Dune London Cabot Place

Parker shoulder bag, £375, Coach, Cabot Place

Chocolate obsessed

If there is one thing you can’t go wrong with this Valentine’s Day, it’s chocolate. Hotel Chocolat’s Romantic hamper boasts everything you need for a night in, including a delicious and generous selection of chocolates alongside a bottle of Italian Prosecco for two.

Reiss, Jubilee Place

Vide Poche jewellery tray, £210, Tiffany & Co., Cabot Place

Romantic hamper, £35, Hotel Chocolat, Canada Place

Fiji mini hoop diamond earrings, £425, Monica Vinader, Jubilee Place Jesika bracelet, £22, Dune London, Cabot Place

Cashmere Signature candle, £20, The White Company, Jubilee Place

Signature wide earrings, £125, Monica Vinader, Jubilee Place

golden girls

Stone-detailed earrings, £34.95, Massimo Dutti, Cabot Place

Invest in a flattering piece of jewellery for your lucky lady in yellow gold or rose gold; both shades exude elegance and will remain timeless.

Eve String Boday, £175, Wolford, Jubilee Place

Patek Philippe watch, £POA, David M Robinson, Jubilee Place Atelier Swarovski by Mary Katrantzou sphere ring, £159, Swarovski, Cabot Place

canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

@canarywharflondon

Lattice cuff, £12,500, David M Robinson, Jubilee Place

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<

treat him

Get Date night ready

A trend that turned heads on the catwalk this season was the return of block colour, worn head-to-toe. A long plain jacket can take any outfit from casual to smart casual perfect for any date night scenarios.

Treat your gent to the latest arrivals in Canary Wharf. Pick up the new Penhaligon’s scent, a classic jacket or backpack or go big with speakers that boast the best sound in the world.

For him or her

Bang & Olufsen have introduced the BEOPLAY H9i - stylishly crafted using the very best materials, including memory foam ear cushions to adapt to the shape and curve of the ear.

Barbour Border wax jacket, £249, Waitrose Food, Fashion & Home, Canada Place

Reiss, Jubilee Place

Opus EDT fragrance, £72, Penhaligon’s, Cabot Place

Say it with gin

BEOPLAY H9i, £449, Bang & Olufsen, South Colonnade

You won’t go wrong with a good bottle of gin. Visit Waitrose Food, Fashion & Home, M&S or Nicolas Wine Merchant for a wide selection to choose from.

drunk in love....

For gin with a difference, pick up Daffy’s gin. Created from the finest grain spirit and distilled on an ancient copper pot whisky with Lebanese mint, alongside a range of the best botanicals.

Ideal for the gin lover in your life.

Extreme Backpack, £660, MontBlanc, Cabot Place

Phantom wireless speaker, £1,290, Devialet, Cabot Place

Earl Grey & Lemon Gin, £19, Waitrose Food, Fashion & Home, Canada Place

Elderflower gin, £34, Marks & Spencer, Jubilee Place

The Botanist gin, £45.30, Nicolas Wine Merchant, Canada Place

Daffy’s gin, £35.99, Waitrose Food, Fashion & Home, Canada Place

canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

@canarywharflondon

Over 300 Shops, Bars & Restaurants

Seven Days a Week, 364 Days a Year @yourcanarywharf

CANARYWHARF.COM @canarywharflondon

A R T

Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Canary Wharf has an impressive art collection and Bloomberg is now following its lead by balancing its books with a dose of contemporary culture. Works by high-profile contemporary artists including Michael Craig-Martin are now on display in its new European headquarters in the City of London. Find out more on p.36

Another View from Nowhen, Isabel Nolan Image credit: David Morgan

p. 30

p. 32

p. 36

the photographic pursuits of a london black cab driver

how a gamble on a graffiti artist paid off at auction

the financial heavyweights banking on art

CANARY WHARF

VISUAL ARTS

Henry Moore Draped Seated Woman 1957-58 © The Henry Moore Foundation; credit: philip vile

INDOMITABLE SPIRIT

Henry Moore: Draped Seated Woman 1957-58 Lobby, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf 12 February – 6 April This documentary exhibition marks the return of Henry Moore’s Draped Seated Woman 1957-58 to the East End of London.

Purchased by the London County Council in 1961 for its new Stifford Estate in the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney, the monumental bronze sculpture, one of an edition of six, soon became known locally as ‘Old Flo’. In 1997, when the towers on the estate were being demolished, Draped Seated Woman was removed to Yorkshire Sculpture Park for safe keeping, a loan that lasted until 2017. ‘Old Flo’ finally came back to Tower Hamlets last year and can be seen in Cabot Square at Canary Wharf until 2022.

The exhibition not only traces Old Flo’s story, travels and impact on local opinion and politics, but also explores Moore’s working method, influences and the other bronze casts in his edition of Draped Seated Woman, which are located in collections around the world.

Henry Moore 1898-1986 was at the forefront of British Modernist sculpture. His work focused almost entirely on the human female figure, standing, seated or reclining, with a child or as a family group. Influences on his work include the landscape, largely that of his native Yorkshire, his close observation of classical sculpture, and his own profound humanity. His sculpture, drawings and prints were shown and collected internationally throughout his lifetime and today exhibitions of his work are continually presented and celebrated globally. In 1977 Moore established the Henry Moore Foundation in the grounds of his home in Perry Green, Hertfordshire. The Foundation aims to advance understanding of the work of Henry Moore, in tandem with the wider aims of education and promotion of the fine arts.

This exhibition has benefitted from the close collaboration of the Foundation’s curatorial and archival staff.

c a n a r y w h a r f AR T s

COMMUNITY GALLERY Showcasing local arts projects

Craft Central

window galleries the art and design window galleries Showcase up-and-coming artists, designers and craftspeople and are located in canada place

From 29 January - 2 March

From 9 February - 4 April

Vicky Lew

Design, Jubilee Walk

Craft Central has supported craftsmanship and craftspeople in the UK for 40 years.

It moved to The Forge in Westferry Road on the Isle of Dogs, last September. This Grade II listed former ironworks has been imaginatively converted to provide creative studios, workshops, offices, shared workspaces and an exhibition hall. By moving to the Isle of Dogs Craft Central is bringing its design and making skills back to an area of traditional industry.

Central Saint Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduate Vicky Lewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design philosophy revolves around wabi sabi; the notion of transient beauty. Infusing European design aesthetics with traditional Asian sensibilities, each piece of fine jewellery features an intricate interplay between organic shapes and geometric forms. Handcrafted in precious metals and set with gemstones and pearls, her debut collections FLIGHT and PLUME reinterpret the ephemerality of nature through peak-a-boo images of birds in flight, with pieces exhibiting the harmony between the fluidity of flying and the structure of wings. vickylew.com

craftcentral.org.uk

canary wharf evening oil

Alexander Pemberton Art, Canada Walk

Alexander Pemberton paints from life and his principal subject matter is the Thames at Greenwich. This often combines the older, industrial Greenwich with the new look of Canary Wharf and Silvertown. For Alexander, the river is a compelling

canarywharf.com

subject, attempting to bring order and clarity to the chaotic flow of the River Thames. In 2009 he showed a series of paintings of the Thames at the River & Rowing museum, Henley. alexanderpemberton.blogspot.com

@yourcanarywharf

@canarywharflondon

Life through a lens

By Graeme Green

R

ugged mountains, cascading waterfalls, sunsets on mirror-like lakes… These are the subjects commonly found in landscape photography.

The skylines and structures of Canary Wharf appear far less, but then Terry Gibbins isn’t your standard photographer.

For the last 25 years, he’s worked as a London black cab driver. Now, as he drives around the capital, he carries his camera gear with him at all times.

“Canary Wharf has great photographic potential,” says Terry. “It depends how people interpret it. It’s mainly architectural stuff, abstract stuff, reflections in glass, long exposures. You have to work at it. But

it’s what you make it.”

Originally from Greenwich, Gibbins’ ability to capture London life and landscapes on a daily basis is the ‘silver lining’ of his house being burgled several years ago. “All my stuff got stolen, so I decided I’d shove my kit in a bag and keep it with me all the time in the car.

It’s good practice really, because you never know when you might need a camera in London.”

With his gear always at the ready, he often races across the city to catch some of the buildings or locations on his ‘Hit List’, when the right light and weather conditions appear.

ART

Canary Wharf is an area he knows particularly well, and not only as a cabbie; he now includes the area on photographic workshops he guides in London. “It’s a good place to be,” he says. “And it feels quite ‘new’. Canary Wharf is private land, so until recently it was hard to photograph there. Someone might move you on. Now, it’s more relaxed. The last few workshops I’ve done, we’ve wandered for hours with everyone taking photos freely.”

Gibbins’ photography has branched out in different directions, from water abstracts – inspired by Mike Curry’s water photography of the Docklands – to fleeting moments in the lives of Londoners.

For his landscape work, one of his favourite locations is Blackwall Basin.

“There’s a very small harbour area there, shielded all the way around, and the Thames. If there’s no wind, you get some fantastic reflections and a lovely Manhattan-style view of Canary Wharf.”

During his 25 years working around this skyline, he’s seen plenty of change.

“On my workshops, we spend quite a bit of time around there because there’s so much to see and photograph. Baltimore Tower is also fascinating. It changes shape as you look at it, like a wobbly superstructure. I love exploring Canary Wharf. The longer you spend there, the more you see.”

opposite page: The Thames Barrier at dawn this page, top to bottom: the corporate beauty of the Canary Wharf estate; one canada square in canary wharf; A café scene at Smithfield market Images: terry gibbins

Terry Gibbins guides photography tours in London with Light and Land, which organises photography holidays and workshops in the UK and worldwide.

His work will also be on show as part of an exhibition celebrating ‘25 years of Landscape Photography with Light and Land’ at the OXO Gallery on London’s Southbank from 18-22 July. The exhibition also features photographers Charlie Waite, Joe Cornish, Doug Chinnery and more. lightandland.co.uk; terrygibbins.com

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Banking on

Banksy From a railway arch on the Kingsland Road to an auction house in New York City – how a punt on an unknown street artist paid off. Big time Words: John Higginson

I

’m in a packed room on East 64th Street.

It’s -20C outside, but in here it’s hot.

Fur coats, Canada Goose parkas and expectation. Money generates its own heat. People talk quietly or not at all.

There is an electric energy amplifying every sound, heightening senses. Upper East Siders here to exchange old money for new art. But not too new. Something on their wall that will make them look cool and risqué but with ROI and an exit plan at the back of the mind. Behind a wall of screens the online traders make sure they don’t get it too cheap.

We’re at London-based Forum Auctions’ ‘Banksy NYC’. Some 40 prints from the world’s most famous street artist worth $1m combined are on sale.

My wife and I are sitting at the back of the room. We got here early to soak up the atmosphere. But I’m regretting that decision now.

Regretting the whole thing. Flying all the way to New York to see if this little print: 13in x 19in; one of 750; not even signed; not even framed; identical to a hundred thousand fakes sold in markets the world over, will sell for thousands of dollars. What was I thinking? Who would pay that? When the auctioneer in London told me that the reserve would be $5,000 I was laughing. Let’s fly to New York I told my wife. I’ve never been. We’ll leave the kids with their grandparents. Swap our BA air miles for business class flights from City Airport.

Stay at The Maritime in Chelsea. Eat porterhouse at Keens and drink cocktails on the roof of The Standard. We flew in last night and we spent like lottery winners.

But now it hits me: what a schmuck I’ve been. The day after the night before. Too much US prime rib and Malbec running through the veins. What if it doesn’t hit its reserve? What if we fly back with that old print and an empty bank balance? We spent the winnings before the race had even started.

But first let’s go back to the start. How I got this little lottery ticket for £40.

It’s 2003 and I’m a news reporter working on a local free newspaper no more than a few miles from where you are reading this: the Kent-based News Shopper. I don’t need to tell you I’m poor – you already knew that when I said I was a local reporter. Anyway I’m living in a boat, or to be more accurate it’s a Thames barge, which is a polite name for a river skip. It’s been converted from its original purpose of carrying rocks and sleepers up and down the Thames and is moored permanently on the south bank of the river just east of Tower Bridge. Look out of your shiny tower towards the Design Museum and you can’t miss it. It’s got the trees and plants growing on top. It was a great location for £40 a week for my cabin. The fact that the floor was at a 30-degree angle at low tide and the local Bermondsey kids threw stones at our boats was compensated by the uninterrupted view of Tower Bridge.

Anyway, I had been interested in street art for some time having, as a teenager, hung around with one of London’s best graffiti artists, Known.

Banksy’s stencil art had started to appear a few years earlier. At first I didn’t get it. Anyone could just paint in the stencil, so where was the value?

But I went along to Banksy’s first major London

F E AT U R E a Banksy piece in bristol depicting the Queen as David Bowieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aladdin Sane persona image Credit: 1000 Words / Shutterstock.com

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Golf Sale, 2003, Banksy

show Turf War, in a railway arch on the Kingsland Road anyway.

There were real pigs painted as police cars, live cows covered in targets, life-size angels flying from the ceilings with acid faces wearing riot gear. An animal rights activist chained herself outside while the Met police tried to shut the thing down.

The political content of the message just grabbed me.

In Golf Sale it takes the hugely powerful image of a protester standing in front of tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989 holding a golf marketing sign. Its meaning points to the vacuity of our modern consumerist society: ignore the 10,000 people killed by a totalitarian regime over there – over here you can buy goods cheap.

Another, Queen Victoria, made a play on the legend that Queen Victoria did not ban lesbianism because, when told about it, she refused to believe it could exist.

So, in Banksy’s piece, she sits stony-faced above the face of a woman. Banksy was taking the grizzly pieces of history and telling us about them with a fresh twist.

By taking away the creative flair of the hand and the brush stroke with stencils the art was all about the message. It could be repeated exactly the same, 1,000 times. It was no longer about one original piece. It was about one original thought. Banksy had rewritten the rules: art does not have a message – it is the message.

At a time when most people either bought original art or a £5 Athena poster, Banksy was selling limitededition prints for £40 to £60 each – an extraordinary amount of money for prints at the time. I cleared out my bank account by buying 10 of them. I carried them back on my bike in their big cardboard tubes, riding through Dalston and Shoreditch back to Bermondsey like a Chinese peasant. “No wonder you are poor,” said my aspirational then-girlfriend. I proudly put them on my walls and she later went on to marry an Old Etonian banker. We remain friends.

Back in New York, the auction is about to start and my print, Golf Sale, is the first lot.

“Opening the bidding at $3,000,” says the auctioneer.

There is a pause that lasts long enough for the earth to

John stayed at The Maritime hotel, from £183 per room per night, Themaritimehotel.com; he travelled British Airways business class from London City Airport to JFK, britishairways.com; forumauctions.co.uk

open up beneath me and for me to start falling into the abyss. But eventually a paddle flashes up. “3,200?” says the auctioneer, cautiously. Another pause before a shout from the representatives of the online buyer. “$3,500?” A nod confirms it. “$3,800?” Another online buyer enters the fray. “$4,000?” Someone behind me has got involved. I don’t dare turn around. “$4,200”, “$4,500”, “$4,800”. The numbers start rattling towards the reserve like a train picking up speed.

I’m sweating profusely. My wife squeezes my hand hard.

I look at her. I can see that she has been as nervous as me.

We can’t return to London with our tail between our legs. “$5,000.” The reserve is hit. We’re home free. But then it continues. “$5,500.” Like a pacemaker the first man is out of the running as the increments increase. It is between two faceless online buyers represented by a suited man and cashmere-clad woman, who looks like a Bond girl, bashing the numbers furiously into their computers before shouting out confirmations. “$6,000 confirmed”, “$6,500 confirmed”.

The eyes in the room go back and forth like at a tennis match. But then the bidding slows. “$7,000” is hit high into the air, but will it be returned? The bidders look like spent lovers. Their dilated eyes staring only at their green screens. “$7,500?” the auctioneer says, looking only at the man in the suit. He taps a request again into his screen. “Going once, going twice… SOLD for $7,000.” My wife gives me a look that says we are going to be making the most of our maritimethemed hotel room tonight.

A total of 35 prints in the auction were sold for $758,500 with just five not hitting their reserve.

Forum Auctions will be running a London auction with Banksy prints in June this year. My Queen Victoria is currently in storage to save my blushes when the children ask why the queen is sitting on another lady’s face. But this summer it will be in the lot. I’m already looking forward to the buzz.

N

EW

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Artists

at

Work Why do financial companies invest in their own art collections?

Words: Dan Hayes

F E AT U R E

David Tremlettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s City Drawing #1 Bloomberg HQ. Photo: James Newton

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S

tanding beneath the enormous curving staircase in Bloomberg’s recently opened European headquarters in the City of London, the visitor’s eye is drawn unavoidably to two glittering triangles of aluminum, one at floor level, one high above.

The first catches colours from passers-by and ambient light, the latter shines like the surface of a pool of water, mirroring the weather conditions of the day. The work of Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, and entitled No Future is Possible without a Past, this intriguing installation pays homage to both the newly minted building’s role as a bustling hub of the financial industry and the site’s former incarnation as home to a Roman temple on the banks of the now subterranean Walbrook river.

While this may be Bloomberg HQ’s most dramatic artwork, it is only one among many commissioned specifically for the building; with other high-profile contemporary artists on show including Michael CraigMartin, Langlands & Bell and Cristina Iglesias.

Bloomberg’s innovative edifice may have scooped recent headlines, not least because of its supposed $1bn price tag, but the creation of corporate art collections and their use to both make a statement and to engage with the outside world is nothing new.

One of the oldest collections belongs to Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BOAML), whose European headquarters are in Canary Wharf. Dating back to the 1780s, the collection has gradually expanded over the centuries as the financial giant has swallowed up banks with their own artistic stashes.

Today, BOAML holds around 60,000 artworks, ranging from 18th-century Nantucket scrimshaws to seminal pieces by the biggest names in Pop art.

Rena M. DeSisto, the firm’s global arts and culture executive, says the plan is to have as many of the works on display to as broad an audience as possible.

“In the past museums would borrow pieces from us for shows,” she says, “but we decided we wanted to make [the collection] a true community resource, so now we lend full exhibitions free of charge to museums.

Images from Warhol Unscreened: Artworks from the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Collection

“This is another way of deploying capital to help communities and economies thrive” “We started this approach in 2009 and, since then, we’ve lent to more than 120 shows and museums all around the world. We wanted this art programme to be comprehensive and mutually beneficial for the communities we serve. The museums that borrow from our collection often do not have deep pockets, but whatever they make from revenue at the front door or attracting new members goes to them.”

DeSisto says such a lending programme creates a win-win scenario for her firm: “We’re a financial business and we’re interested in seeing strong economies, partly because when the economy is strong we as a company do better. So this is another way of deploying capital to help communities and economies thrive.”

While Bank of America is not currently adding to its collection, it does occasionally sell items, with the money raised usually going to non-profit organisations or to further fund the firm’s artistic programme. In December 2017, for example, BOAML’s New York auction raised more than $2m for military veterans’ healthcare services at NYU Langone by selling a range of works by the likes of Norman Rockwell and David Hockney.

And the bank also uses its collection in more prosaic ways, such as decorating the walls of its 800 facilities worldwide. That’s the reason many organisations begin to buy in the first place, adds Dr Jacqueline Nowikovsky, a specialist at auction house Bonhams’ Post-War and Contemporary Art Department.

“That’s the simplest explanation as to why firms are interested in buying artworks,” she says. “Offices have lots of empty white walls. A collection can start as something purely decorative, but can then become something more elaborate as well as a useful diversification of company assets. Regardless of financial gain, displaying interesting art in offices creates an environment that engages, inspires and sometimes challenges workers.”

This concept was certainly part of the reasoning behind the collection at insurance firm Hiscox, whose art curator Whitney Hintz explains: “It was very much driven by [ former chairman] Robert Hiscox. He had an interest in art, was collecting privately and thought that hanging pieces on the walls of the office would improve the working environment.”

As a company, Hiscox began collecting in the 1970s; rather bravely kicking off its acquisitions with an early 19th-century watercolour by Thomas Rowlandson entitled The Meeting of an Insurance Company after a Heavy Loss.

Over the following two decades, the collection gathered pace. “It became focused on modern British art with a few pieces by Russian constructivists,” adds Hintz.

“In the 1980s and ’90s, the company was buying great

F E AT U R E

Olafur Eliasson’s No future is Possible without a Past, Bloomberg HQ. Photo: James Newton

Cristina Iglesias’s Forgotten Streams, Bloomberg HQ. Photo: Nigel Young/Foster + Partners

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This image Sortario, Arturo Herrera, Bloomberg HQ. Photo: James Newton Right Libra, Angela Conner, Hogan Lovell far right Death of a Working Hero, Perry Grayson, Hiscox

F E AT U R E

“Everything we buy gets hung on the walls. It’s all on display. We don’t have anything hiding in storage” works which at the time were very accessible and affordable.”

Building up an art collection also dovetailed with the nature of the expanding business. “We’re one of the leaders in the art insurance world, so it was a nice fit that we were also collecting art. We understood the market, we understood how to look after works and we were passionate about art.”

These days, Hiscox has widened the scope of its collection, partly in line with its widening international scope. “There are no restrictions in terms of what we collect,” says Hintz. “At the beginning we were focused on modern British art, but that changed as the company has expanded and we have opened offices in different parts of the world.” Today, Hiscox has almost 1,000 pieces in its collection, with the vast majority fitting into the contemporary category.

“Everything we buy gets hung on the walls,” says Hintz. “It’s all on display. We don’t have anything hiding in storage. There’s such a demand for pieces.

Some offices ask me regularly for more artworks.”

A similar phenomenon can be found at City law firm Hogan Lovells’ HQ near Holborn Viaduct. Much of the collection here was either bought or commissioned when Lovells (prior to its merger) moved into its current premises at the turn of the century, explains Andrew Skipper, one of the firm’s partners.

“At the time, the firm acquired a good collection including works by the likes of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Pablo Picasso,” he says. “We’ve some great examples of Pop Art era works, by the sort of artists that people know about even if they don’t know much about art. We also have a growing African art collection, including work by Bruce Onobrakpeya.”

One of the attractions of the 1,000-strong collection is that the firm’s lawyers only need to take a trip up to the eighth floor if they fancy feasting their eyes on an original Warhol, but Skipper also believes the artworks make a wider cultural statement about the company that appeals to clients.

And you don’t have to venture very far into the building to witness some pretty dramatic art – its substantial atrium is dominated by Libra, a towering 94ft sculpture by English artist Angela Conner in the shape of a pendulum that swings as it collects and releases water.

Michael O’Donoghue, an associate at the firm who helps to manage and curate its collection, suggests such works in such a space form the perfect backdrop for wider artistic engagement.

“The atrium is magnificent,” he says, “with walls that are two or three storeys high. We’d like to use that space regularly to support local artists. One of the real positives of having such an incredible collection is we can exhibit up-and-coming young artists and put their names alongside the greats. I think that gives the right kind of promotion and exposure.”

That idea of an outward-facing approach to art is also in action at fellow law firm Collyer Bristow, although the emphasis here is more on a gallery with changing exhibitions than a collection per se.

The firm’s art curator Rosalind Davis explains: “The gallery is part of the unique selling point of the firm and something of which it’s really proud. Clients engage with the gallery and it can be a good icebreaker – for example, talking about the latest show can help people relax prior to an intense meeting.”

The Collyer Bristow Gallery stages three exhibitions per year. While there is no strict rule regarding content, most of the works on display tend to be from younger artists. Works are also often on sale with the artists reaping a comparatively generous 70 per cent of the price, with the remainder reinvested in the gallery.

Adds Davis: “The firm has an evolving programme that allows it to show the work of multiple artists over a period of time rather than containing it to the investment category. In that respect we’re providing a different kind of support for the arts.”

That idea of helping creativity flourish is a common theme for many a corporate collection, as Michael Bloomberg summed it up when his new European HQ opened its doors: “The arts help cities thrive – that’s why our company has been a strong supporter of the arts in cities around the world. The art [at the London HQ] makes our workplace more exciting and inspiring, and it helps to connect us to the surrounding community.”

The Collyer Bristow Gallery is open by appointment; office hours, Monday to Friday. 4 Bedford Row, WC1, collyerbristow.com/art-gallery

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TO READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS VISIT www.luxurylondon.co.uk

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STYLE

Crockett & Jones claims that the new Cranleigh Chelsea boot is the most comfortable it’s ever produced. The low-cut boot has an unlined fore-part and the brand’s super flexible City rubber sole. crockettandjones.com

p. 48

the art of watchmaking behind the scenes at blancpain headquarters

p. 52 An Atlantic Odyssey The remote island creating a splash in the art world

p. 64 london fahion week mens the big winners from 2018’s first Fashion outing

Cross my heart

Chaumet has expanded its signature Jeux de Liens collection for Valentine’s Day with a one-off collection of lacquer love knots, inspired by traditional Chinese craftsmanship. Select from brightly coloured bracelets, pendants and single stud earrings, designed to be worn mismatched.

From £850, chaumet.com

one direction

jewellery

Cupid’s arrow is refashioned by Chelsea jeweller Robinson Pelham as a single stud earring, encrusted with vibrant gemstones and diamonds.

Opt for hot pink and yellow sapphires, or vivid green tsavorite.

From £390, robinsonpelham.com

Words: MHAIRI GRAHAM

A cluster of colour The golden key

Give the key to your heart this month with a pendant from Tiffany & Co. Choose from lustrous gold, platinum or diamond-encrusted designs, all twinkling with hope and good fortune.

From £190, tiffany.co.uk

The covetable new Harry Winston range restyles the jeweller’s signature Cluster motif with vivid sapphires, rubies and emeralds.

Gemstones and diamonds are set at varying angles for a three-dimensional finish, showcasing the brand’s exceptional flair for proportions and craftsmanship.

POA, harrywinston.com

Ring true

Jessica McCormack’s creations all make for timeless love tokens, but her new stacking rings have the playful edge.

Heart-shaped designs are embellished with diamonds, rubies and sapphires and can be worn individually, stacked up your fingers or strung on a chain as a necklace.

Heart rings from £1,900, jessicamccormack.com

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CURIO COLLECTION S T E R L I N G S I LV E R V E R M E I L W I T H S E M I - P R E C I O U S S T O N E S A N D D I A M O N D S

w w w. lola rose . co. uk

Best of British The latest creations from the brace of brands putting Britain back on the mechanical watch map

Bremont Model: 1918 Collection Functions: Chronograph, date, daynight indicator and GMT 12 hours Movement: Calibre BE-16AE, an automatic chronograph movement modified from the Swiss-made Valjoux 7750 Case: 43mm x 17.2mm: stainless steel (275 pieces), white gold (75) or rose gold (75) Water Resistance: 100 metres Power Reserve: 42 hours Strap: Alligator leather with pin buckle to complement case material

The lowdown: The Henley-onThames brand celebrates the centenary of the Royal Air Force with a trilogy of limitededition chronographs, which incorporate parts from three of Britain’s most famous fighter aircraft.

What’s so special: As per Bremont’s other historically-inspired limited editions, the 1918 Collection incorporates an element of its subject matter within its construction. In this case, metal from a Bristol Blenheim, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane – all aircraft which flew during the Battle of Britain in 1940 – are used in the three propeller blades found in the watch’s rotor.

Price: From £8,495-£16,995

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Christopher Ward Model: C8 Power Reserve Chronometer Functions: Date display, seconds sub dial, power reserve indicator Movement: A hand-wound version of Christopher Ward’s Calibre SH21, with a new bridge and decorated twin barrels Case: 44mm x 11mm; black DLC steel Water Resistance: 50 metres Power Reserve: 120 hours Strap: Tiber leather; available in tan, brown or black

The lowdown: In July 2014, only a decade after launching as ‘the most affordable luxury watches in the world’, Christopher Ward announced that it had engineered its own proprietary calibre in collaboration with Swiss movement specialist Synergies Horlogères. Now, the brand builds a power reserve indicator and seconds subdial into its ‘in-house’ base calibre.

What’s so special: The SH21 is the first calibre Christopher Ward has taken from the drawing board to production. The design is based on Baukastensystem principles, a modular approach that takes its name from the German word meaning ‘building blocks’.

In the most prosaic terms, the movement’s 164 parts are assembled separately in blocks and then brought together.

Price: From £1,645 47

Blancpainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manufacture in Le Sentier

where watches are made

What goes into the making of a modern mechanical timepiece and just why are they so expensive?

Where better to find out than at Blancpain HQ? The oldest watchmaker of them all Words: Richard Brown

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T

he continued success of the mechanical watch industry owes much to the romantic notion that a collection of cogs, gears and springs can somehow connect our modern, around-the-clock lives to a simpler, less-frantic time.

It’s a fancy reinforced by the fact that most traditional watchmakers, save for a splattering of Saxon-stationed brands, hail from Switzerland, which, testament to the marketing strategy of the country’s tourism board, we visualise as a bucolic setting chiming with cow bells and disrupted only by the long, low bellow of alphorns. A place that hasn’t moved on all that much from the pages of Heidi.

And, in many ways, life in the Vallée de Joux, the beating heart of Swiss watch land, hasn’t. Water still flows from the River Orbe into Lake Joux. Cows continue to graze the valley’s sides until winter arrives and farmers are forced to make ends meet through other means. From the 16th century, one way of doing so was by handcrafting components for the watch companies that had been established in Geneva by the Huguenots (who’d fled religious persecution in France). The tradition continued into the 18th century, at which point – to sidestep a couple of centuries of horological history – several entrepreneurial individuals started centralising production processes into more verticalised operations.

One of the earliest to do so was a school teacher turned watchmaker in the hamlet of Villeret. Jehan-Jacques Blancpain’s workshop was located on the second storey of his farmhouse (the inhabitants of the first floor being cows).

While it is almost certainly the case that Jehan-Jacques began watchmaking prior to 1735 – for it was in this year that he recorded his occupation as ‘horologer’ on an official property registry, implying employment in the industry for some time previously – it is 1735 that modern-day Blancpain considers as its founding year. Which makes Blancpain the world’s oldest continuously-active watchmaker.

In 1992, having manoeuvred its way out of the Quartz crisis under the joint ownership of Jacques Piguet, head of movement manufacturer Frédéric Piguet, and industry arriviste JeanClaude Biver, Blancpain relocated from Villeret to nearby villages Le Sentier and Le Brassus, establishing a manufacture and an art studio, respectively.

The Making of a Mechanical Timepiece In 2010, Blancpain completed its vertical integration by merging fully with aforementioned calibre specialist Frédéric Piguet, allowing the company to manufacture all of its movements in-house. The watchmaking process – Blancpain currently manufactures around 25,000 timepieces a year – begins at the Le Sentier site, home to approximately 700 employees.

Components – plates, levers, bridges, discs, cogs, oscillating weights – are first cut out as rough blanks (mostly in steel and brass) by automatic presses fitted with stamping blocks.

Computer numerical control (CNC) machines, accurate to the nearest micron, then mill holes into plates at the points at which other components will be attached. A single plate might have 100 milling steps. Components are then cleaned in up to 20 chemical baths. The process of making one component could take six hours.

Calibres, of course, comprise hundreds of parts.

Currently, Blancpain manufactures 12 of its own base movements. Whenever a new calibre is invented, the company’s on-site toolmakers may be required to create new stamping blocks to cut out new components. With the most

expensive CNC machines costing up to €20 million, and each new stamping block ranging from €30,000 to €200,000, it’s clear why only the most well-financed watch companies can lay claim to manufacturing movements totally within their own walls.

Artists at Work Built in 1770, the cherry-wood-panelled walls of Blancpain’s farmhouse facility in adjoining Le Brassus accommodate both its complicated watch department (Blancpain is the only watchmaker currently manufacturing carrousels, supercomplex rotating regulation systems similar to tourbillons) and its Métiers d’art studio. It’s here that you’ll find the company’s engravers, enamellers and other specialist artists.

One watch stands to demonstrate the aptitude of this division.

The one-of-a-kind The Great Wave was launched at Baselworld 2016 and took as its inspiration one of the most iconic images in Japanese art: Katsushika Hokusai’s 1830 woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

Once Christophe Bernardot, Blancpain’s master engraver, had settled on his subject matter, he was faced with the challenge of capturing the force and dynamism of the wave in just a few millimetres of watch face. How to capture a sense of power and motion in the space of a dial? In pursuit of a powerful depiction, Bernardot crafted a three-dimensional engraving in white gold.

For still greater visual depth, he endowed the engraving with a patina using shakudō, an alloy of copper and gold historically used in samurai swords. Bernardot then created shadow and light through delicate polishing.

The second part of Bernadot’s quest was finding the right surface material on which to attach the wave. Bernadot wanted to showcase his engraving but not upstage it. Examining a wide range of materials, he settled on a stone never previously used for a watch dial: Mexican obsidian. Its grey, moody colour, infused with subtle, extremely fine bright grains, worked to showcase the wave while capturing the dark atmosphere of a storm. Bernadot then drilled fine holes through the stone to accept the miniscule feet he’d attached on the back of the white-gold wave. All of this while Blancpain’s complicated watch division was working on a new variant of Blancpain’s eight-day 13R0 movement, modified, so as not to interfere with the wave, to display a power reserve indicator on its back.

Blancpain distinguishes itself from other brands in its rejection of production line methods, favouring instead hand assembly of watches from beginning to end by a single watchmaker at his own bench, or as the brand terms it, “an individual watchmaker working on a watch from A to Z.” Should you want to customise your timepiece, a number of components – dials, case-backs, oscillating weights – can be decorated and engraved before assembly. We witnessed a range of commissions being worked on, from famous artworks, like The Great Wave, to the skylines of cities being replicated on dials.

Judging by the number of carnal carvings on show, it seems Blancpain does a healthy trade in erotic engravings, too.

Now that mechanical watches have become superfluous to our everyday lives, we buy into the notion that timepieces powered by a spring represent something magical. Blancpain is certainly doing its bit to legitimise this belief. While the world’s oldest watchmaker might be reliant on computer-aided milling machines for its components, it is watchmakers huddled over wooden benches inside an 18th-century farmhouse that breathe life into these miniaturised pieces of art.

The Great Wave, inspired by Katsushika Hokusaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1830 woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa

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FOGO: An

Atlantic odyssey The island community using art and architecture to put itself on the world map Photography: Alexander Beer Stylist: Graham Cruz Model: Jake Davies Words: David Taylor

Off the coast of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador lies Fogo Island, an outcrop 82 times the size of the City of London, but with only around 2,200 inhabitants. Exposed to the might of the Atlantic Ocean, the residents of Fogo Island have traditionally traded in fish. However, overfishing by large companies looking to take control of a dwindling population has taken this 400-year-old source of livelihood to the brink of disaster, threatening the cultural and economic practicality of most of rural Newfoundland; perhaps most of all on Fogo and the surrounding Change Islands.

There is hope on the horizon, however, in the form of local social entrepreneur Zita Cobb.

Fogo Island Arts

The Shorefast Foundation, a charity founded by Cobb, funds multiple independent enterprises across Fogo Island, helping the inhabitants succeed with their own businesses in a sustainable fashion.

One such initiative is Fogo Island Arts (FIA), which brings international attention and projects to Fogo and Change Islands.

FIA’s 15 annual artist residencies, along with exhibitions and collaborative events in places like Berlin and Toronto, invite artists to combine contemporary art, architecture and social innovation. fogoislandarts.ca; shorefast.org

Oversized brown knitted hat, £150, DSquared2, dsquared2.com; Checked cotton sport shirt, £115, Brooks Brothers, brooksbrothers.com; Red, white and blue silk scarf, £POA, Moncler Gamme Bleu, moncler.com; Black leather and knit gloves, £175, AMI paris, amiparis.com; Patchwork quilt, approx. £1,000, Fogo Island, fogoislandshop.ca

Belted navy polo coat in mohair and wool, £1,390, E. Tautz, etautz.com; Cigar brown patterned cashmere heavy knit sweater, £1,090, Ermenegildo Zegna Couture, zegna.com; Tan work trousers, £120, Carrier Company, carriercompany.co.uk; Grey wool walking socks, £17, FALKE, falke.com; ‘Chelsea 5’ boots in roughout suede, £370, Crockett & Jones, crockettandjones.com

After leaving the island for a successful career in technology, Zita Cobb returned to her birthplace in June 2013 to open the Fogo Island Inn. Her intention was to create a social enterprise to support the men and women trying to make a living in the place they call home.

Designed by Canadian architect Todd Saunders, the Inn stands in modern contrast with the ancient granite rock under its stilted foundations. It has an almost flawless five-star rating on TripAdvisor, and is seen as a trailblazer in sustainable and community-focussed luxury. Local skills, unchanged for centuries, are now at the forefront of business: handwoven rugs, traditional furniture and crafted quilts are all part of the deal when staying at the Inn, and any surplus profits made by the hotel are channelled directly back into the community.

The Details Fogo Island Inn, suites from ÂŁ1,015, fogoislandinn.ca

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main MEDITATION XVII Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, John Donne, English poet and cleric

Navy wool military coat, £1,200, and cotton military overhead shirt, £195, Kent & Curwen, kentandcurwen.com; Khaki cashmere long sleeve knit, £730, Berluti, berluti.com; Cream wool trousers, £225, BOSS, hugoboss.com; Cream hiking boots, £855, Ermenegildo Zegna Couture, zegna.com

Green wool cable-knit sweater, £2,000, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, ralphlauren.co.uk; Grey ‘Hans’ loose weave shirt, £135, Norse Projects, norseprojects.com; Grey wool pleated front trousers, £POA, Caruso, carusomenswear.com; Cream hiking boots, £855, Ermenegildo Zegna Couture, zegna.com

How to get there

Air Canada offers more daily flights from the UK to Canada than any other airline and flies daily from London Heathrow to Gander via St. John’s.

Current return fares to Gander start at £657 (Economy) and £2,194 (Business).

All fares are inclusive of taxes and are subject to change.

Find out more at aircanada.com or call reservations on 0871 220 1111

Navy wool belted coat, £995, Turnbull & Asser, turnbullandasser.co.uk; White silk cashmere turtleneck sweater, £880, Ermenegildo Zegna Couture, zegna.com; Fairisle knit jumper, £355, Kent & Curwen, kentandcurwen.com; Checked trousers, £410, Wooyoungmi, farfetch.com; ‘Ickenham’ boots in sand suede, £475, Belstaff, belstaff.co.uk; Large shadow messenger bag in chocolate brown nubuck, £450, Aspinal of London, aspinaloflondon.com

Wool red tartan shirt, £610, Stella McCartney, stellamccartney.com; Green mohair knitted jumper, £425, Valentino, valentino.com; Cotton military pants with waitsband adjusters, £250, Kent & Curwen, kentandcurwen.com; Reversible red leather belt, £125, S.T. Dupont, st-dupont.com; Worn throughout: Red leather wrap bracelet, £80, Miansai, miansai.com; Blue leather bracelet with Anchor closure, £55, Miansai, miansai.com

LFWM London Fashion Week Men’s A slimmed-down schedule meant that smaller-scale designers were the big winners of fashion’s first 2018 outing Words: David Taylor

T

here’s a change in the air. An increasing number of heavy-hitting brands are transitioning to a single show, exhibiting men’s and women’s collections side by side at February’s (originally womenswear-only) London Fashion Week.

Unfortunately, this means January’s London Fashion Week Men’s is losing out on some of the big-pull names – where JW Anderson, Burberry and Vivienne Westwood took part in previous LFWMs, all have decided to focus efforts on the February show.

However, with loss comes opportunity, and the departure of some of the bigger names was a boon for a raft of plucky British designers, whose collective showing was characterised by creativity and ingenuity.

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Nicholas Daley by Ollie Adegboye

Nicholas Daley Yussef Dayes by Ollie Adegboye

If Nicholas Daley’s second NEWGEN presentation is anything to go by, the traditional catwalk show might be seeing a contender. ‘RED CLAY’, inspired

by Freddie Hubbard’s 1970 soul-jazz album, focuses on tweed; its traditional beginnings and its assimilation into jazz culture. Daley collaborated with some of the UK’s best contemporary jazz artists – Mansur Brown, Yussef Dayes, Shabaka Hutchings and Alfa Mist – to put on a session, with each musician wearing the AW18 collection.

Starting from two images – one of a Shetland farmer wearing a tweed baker boy hat, the other, taken 100 years later, of Miles Davis wearing the same style of headwear – Daley created a collection that is informed by his own Scottish heritage, and worked with Scottish fabric mill Lovat, knitwear company William Lockie, English hatmaker Christys’ and Northampton shoemaker George Cox.

STYLE

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British designers basked in the creative space left by the big brands

What We Wear AW18 presentation

creative director Delphine Ninous at Belstaff AW18 Presentation

Belstaff

Granted, 94-year-old Belstaff isn’t what you’d call a small British brand. However, 2018 sees the 70th anniversary of the four-pocket Trialmaster jacket, originally designed to protect against the elements at the Scottish Six Day Trial. At LFWM, Belstaff celebrated its most famous design with an exhibition of Trialmasters through the years, leading creative director Delphine Ninous to look into English subcultures for Belstaff ’s AW18 collection. The result was a dual-gender collection, full of influences from mods, rockers, punks and skins, all unique cultures, but all connected by the common thread of customised Belstaff pieces.

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What We Wear

Tinie Tempah’s fledgling brand has gathered a strong group of admirers in the little time it’s been a fixture on the LFWM agenda. This season, Tempah has been inspired by London’s workforce and the uniforms seen across the capital: the DLR operator, the window cleaner and the construction worker.

A pared-back collection with an understated colour palette of khaki, grey, navy and black combines with safety neon orange and reflective strips to make the uniform individual. Technical fabrics like cargo, nylon and coated cotton give the collection a utilitarian feel, but others such as soft knits add comfort.

What We Wear has also paired with Amsterdambased Filling Pieces to release a collection of footwear along the same aesthetic.

Tinie Tempah

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Daniel W. Fletcher During the show, The City Magazine sat down with young British designer Daniel W. Fletcher, talking Europe, his rapid rise to fashion stardom and mentoring Antonio Banderas clockwise from left: SS18 by Thomas Ramshaw; Daniel W. Fletcher by Josh Fray; AW18 by Nick Thompson

Fletcher graduated in 2015, with his debut collection picked up immediately

STYLE

A

couple of years out of design school, and Daniel W. Fletcher is already considered one of the brightest young British designers. After his SS17 campaign ‘STAY’, a commentary on Britain’s EU referendum, Fletcher has become known for his socially and politically charged collections, including shows on the NHS and London’s rent crisis. In between presentations in Paris, he discusses his grandmother’s influence, British style, and the importance of international collaboration to the creative process.

How did you get into fashion?

I studied menswear design at Central Saint Martins and graduated in 2015, which is when I started my label.

I launched it off the back of my graduate collection which was picked up by Opening Ceremony. The whole thing was pretty fast after I finished my degree – having worked for some other brands already I was considering my options, but when the opportunity to have my own collection in a store came up it was impossible to say no.

‘STAY’ was a plea to remain in the EU. How will leaving affect the fashion world?

I think one of the saddest things about the UK leaving the EU is the loss of this creative talent pool we currently have access to; I benefitted massively from being able to intern for Lanvin and Louis Vuitton in Paris while I was a student and it is sad to think that this is an opportunity that future generations may now not have.

Did you always set out to make collections with a political or social message?

It isn’t something I set out to do but the two years that have passed since I started the label have been particularly turbulent politically and it has felt natural for me to want to talk about the issues affecting the world we live in. I think if you have a platform you should use it for something positive.

Have time in Paris and your northern upbringing informed your work?

Absolutely. I don’t think I am particularly ‘London’ actually. My designs are very British – I look at a lot of British heritage in my research – but I want give these traditional references a contemporary twist. This season I took a classic oxford shirt and gave it a drawstring hem and contrast binding: it’s quite subtle but it still feels new.

I think this subtlety is something I picked up in Paris.

Who have been your main influences?

My grandmother has been an important figure in my creative life. She was an art teacher, and as a child I used to go to her house and she would teach me to paint: my house now is full of her paintings. In fashion I have been fortunate enough to work under some incredible creative directors: JW Anderson, Kim Jones at Louis Vuitton and Lucas Ossendrijver at Lanvin all made a great impression.

You were shortlisted for the 2017 LVMH Prize. How big was this for you, personally and professionally?

It was a huge honour for me to be nominated. Having only set up my label the year before, to be considered for such a prestigious award alongside designers whom I looked up to and respected was an honour. Then to be

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clockwise from above: SS18

by Thomas Ramshaw; AW18

by Nick Thompson; SS18 by Thomas Ramshaw

given the chance to present my collection to the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour was pretty surreal.

I documented my time there with Polaroids and now whenever I look through them it is like I have been to Madame Tussauds.

Where do you see the future of LFWM? There is a really strong sense of community in the London menswear scene – there are fewer egos. I even do my casting with another designer, Edward Crutchley. We are friends and we use the same casting director, so it makes sense for us to combine and it means we actually get to see each other which doesn’t normally happen in the leadup to a fashion week. LFWM has changed a lot in recent seasons, with brands combining men’s and women’s and also mixing up the way they show collections, which I think is a good thing. I like that people are finding their own way of doing things and I am definitely open to other ways of getting my collection out there.

Apparently you mentored Antonio Banderas at Central Saint Martins! Was he a good student?

I did! He was working on a collaboration and wanted to learn about fashion beforehand, so he came to CSM for six weeks over one summer and they asked me to come back and teach him. They were some of the most fun weeks of my life! He is such a fantastic man and so eager to learn.

He was pretty good, too: we made shirts, did life drawing, went to fabric fairs. He has such a positive attitude towards life. We could all do with being more like Antonio.

What next for Daniel W. Fletcher?

Having just shown my AW18 collection I am now in Paris presenting it to the buyers so will start producing that in the next couple of weeks. Then I have some store projects for SS18 coming up too. I have just done a window installation for Tom Greyhound in Paris and have another for Liberty in London soon, then I am planning to do a couple of collaborations this year which I am looking forward to getting started on.

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Who wants to live

forever

?

Once the realm of science fiction, our future can now be mapped out by geneticists â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the knowledge that being forewarned is forearmed

promotion

A

sk anyone what they would wish for most in the world and in all likelihood, they would say a long and healthy life.

A City worker who may work all hours for a big bonus would readily forego the latest Ferrari for 10 more years on the planet, and any parent would say their dream is to live long enough for a cuddle with their great-grandchildren.

And yet, until recently, all any of us could do was to try to maintain a healthy lifestyle and simply hope for the best.

Now, one London-based medical company is offering its clients the chance to take more control over their future health, thanks to sophisticated DNA decoding.

Many of us will have seen adverts for online or shop-bought DNA testing, promising to discover anything from food allergies to which part of the world our ancestors lived in.

But for a full and informed picture of your future health, Elite Medicine, based on London’s Harley Street, is leading the way.

The team, comprising founders professor Phil Beales, doctor Chiara Bacchelli and professor Nick Lench, boasts some of the world’s leading experts in genetic profiling.

“There is a huge difference between what we offer here at Elite Medicine and some of the other postal and online services for DNA testing,” Beales explains.

“The most well-known brands only test a tiny fraction – 0.02 per cent to be precise – of the genetic markers we look at. Instead, we study and analyse three billion bases of DNA stretching across all our 22,000 genes. This information can provide valuable insights into how one might respond to hundreds of medicines as well as an individual’s risk of certain diseases. Armed with this information, we work closely with the client to help keep their health in check.

“Our service gives the most comprehensive guide to our clients’ health and offers an ongoing health partnership working with health and lifestyle professionals.”

But of course with genetic testing comes the risk that the profiling can show up a likelihood of developing illnesses such as heart disease or certain types of cancer. The test can also analyse the genes for breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA1/BRCA2), which Angelina Jolie had and took preventative measures against.

Beales adds: “It is vital that any clients deciding to undergo the test are aware and informed. We take the consultations and counselling we offer very seriously – both before the test is done and when the results come back. I need to be sure that clients are aware and prepared to cope with their results. It is very rare that we have had to give clients bad news, but it is possible.

“Prior to the test we spend a great deal of time talking and taking detailed medical histories. When we receive the results we discuss them at length and provide a comprehensive report that patients can share with their doctor or healthcare provider,” says Beales.

“It’s possible that with earlier intervention, regular medical tests and the knowledge of how patients will

How DN A te s t i ng at E l ite Med ici ne work s DNA contains all the information that makes us unique. From your DNA, Elite Medicine can reveal your risk of developing certain diseases and your response to certain medicines.

Following a blood sample or mouth swab, your personal genome report from your DNA will be comprehensively evaluated to compile a one-time catalogue of your genetic blueprint. The report will identify genetic markers linked to lifechanging conditions.

Key health indicators will be used to guide the most appropriate health assessment for you, taking into account your medical and family history.

Using this genetically enhanced health data, Elite Medicine can recommend any further diagnostic tests that may be required.

Based on your health assessment and genome information, Elite Medicine will then tailor a personalised healthcare plan to your needs.

Importantly, it will also offer clear evidence-based information in a face-to-face session with a doctor.

The report additionally provides a comprehensive guide to an individual’s responses to commonly prescribed drugs, ensuring doctors are aware of what will work best for their patient.

The personal report is for life. As part of your Elite membership, the company continues to partner with clients and offers reassessment and refreshment of healthcare plans when needed.

“Some diseases could be averted altogether by simple lifestyle changes”

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promotion

respond to certain medicines, some diseases can be averted altogether. Making certain lifestyle changes is one of the most simple yet empowering routes a client can go down.

However, Beales explains that there are some diseases that could be carried by a parent and passed onto children that clients should be aware of, like cystic fibrosis. “At Elite Medicine, we often consult with couples who are looking to start a family and want to know if there are any risks posed by passing on, or combining, their genes. Often they are reassured by the results,” he says.

Co-founder Bacchelli is equally optimistic about the benefits of DNA testing. “With the rapid pace of advancement in genetic therapies it is our mission to provide the most accurate and evidence-based information for our clients,” she says. “It truly can make a real difference and it’s a privilege to be able to work with individuals to help them lead longer, healthy lives.”

DNA FACTS

Every human being shares 99 per cent of

their DNA or genome with everyone else Genes are the functional unit of DNA and code for all our physical characteristics, growth and development Each human has roughly 22,000 genes in their genome We pass on 50 per cent of our genome to our children If you put all the DNA molecules in the body end to end, the DNA would reach from the earth to the sun and back more than 600 times Human DNA is 98 per cent identical to the DNA of chimpanzees and 50 per cent identical to the DNA of bananas

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The Elite Medicine team. From left: Phil Beales; Nick Lench; Chiara Bacchelli

A new client’s experience

by Charles Johnson “I’ll admit I almost cancelled my appointment with Elite Medicine when my results would be revealed. Did I really want to know my medical future?

“But 90 minutes later I emerged from its doors onto Harley Street, armed with my personal report and a determination to lead a healthier life.

“I’d not received any drastically bad news but there were some elements I should be aware of as I get older and some markers that mean I should continue to have regular health checks.

“The whole testing process was remarkably easy – and I found the knowledge I gained both before the test and after it truly fascinating. The doctors take huge care to ensure they have a full picture of your medical history and discuss any elements of your health that you find worrisome.

“It is nerve-wracking going to get your results, but in my mind it is always so much better to be forewarned.

“Knowledge is, as they say, power.”

Elite Medicine, 9 Harley Street, W1G 9QY 020 3488 0535 info@elitemedicine.co.uk elitemedicine.co.uk

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Blinds

Curtains

www.abbottsflooring.co.uk | 020 8980 4158

470-480 Roman Road | London | E3 5LU

Es tabli sh ed i n 1 8 82, Abb ottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rem ains a family company

For four gen eration s our f loor ing, fabric and interior s experts have tu r ned d rea ms into rea lity

FAMILY VALUES

Flooring

top of the class

HEALTH & FITNESS

Third Space has introduced a new class to motivate winter gymgoers. The 55-minute ‘Workout of the Day’ or ‘WOD’ class will be held at the Canary Wharf club twice weekly, and focuses largely on fast-paced, high-intensity Metabolic Conditioning Training, with tough drills using kettlebells, dumbbells and skipping ropes. Results will be posted on a leader board, so bring your competitive spirit.

Third Space, Canada Place

Words: melissa emerson

on your bike

Double Olympic and nine-time World Champion cyclist Victoria Pendleton cut the ribbon at Cycle Republic’s Canary Wharf store opening. Enthusiasts can now browse over 120 bikes and thousands of cycle accessories, and if you have any problems when you’re on wheels, get a quick fix at its workshop with same-day servicing and repairs.

Cycle Republic, Canada Square

say no to plastic

jelly legs

Sweaty Betty has expanded its range of reversible pieces, with a bomber jacket, yoga bra and shorts, as well as this zany jellyfish print.

Sweaty Betty, Cabot Place and Jubilee Place

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Plastic pollution is making headlines, and a reusable water bottle is one easy way to reduce consumption. Stay Sixty’s design has a rubberised coating for easy grip in the gym, and looks the part in minimalistic stone, coal and blush shades. £29.95, staysixty.com

This chocolatey new Almond M*LK from Plenish is vegan-friendly, free from refined sugar and made with 100 per cent organic almonds. £1.99, Boots, Canada Place

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Luv. Nordic elegance.

The design of Cecilie Manzâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; bathroom series Luv combines Nordic purism and timeless, emotional elegance.

Soft shapes follow a stringent geometry. The result is a new unique design language with precise, clear and ďŹ ne edges.

For more information please visit www.duravit.co.uk or contact info@uk.duravit.com

UK CanaryWharf_210x297.indd 1

21.12.17 14:31

No pain, all gain

Looking your very best without going under the knife is the holy grail of beauty. But where do you start with such a bewildering array of high-tech treatments available? One of the UK’s top cosmetic doctors, Jonquille Chantrey of Expert Aesthetics, gives us her thoughts on the latest – and most effective – treatments

B E AU T Y

Dr Jonquille Chantrey

IV therapies can replenish the body, boosting the immune system and preventing illnesses the aesthetics industry is now developing non-surgical techniques to manage thinning and even receding hair and bald spots. It’s no surprise that these methods are popular with women as well. By opting for combined techniques like Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), vitamin infusions and nutritional treatments, patients avoid surgery while significantly improving their hair quality.

COOLSCULPTING

Dr Chantrey says: With more people in search of Instagram-ready perfection, freezing fat in order to enhance your looks is now increasingly popular.

Targeting stubborn areas previously resistant to diet and exercise, Coolsculpting freezes away fat cells with excellent results. Safe and effective with no recovery time needed, it results in a flatter and more contoured appearance.

BIOIDENTICAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

Dr Chantrey says: Management of peri and postmenopausal women and their symptoms has finally become a focus for many clinics. BHRT is an extremely effective way to manage hormonal changes.

Bioidentical hormones have the same structure as those which occur naturally, but are plant-derived. They are for women who do not want – or cannot tolerate – traditional Hormone Replacement Therapy. A doctor will take a blood test to assess hormone balance, then a unique, tailored prescription is given with natural replacements, usually in the form of a cream.

BELKYRA

Dr Chantrey says: The dreaded double chin is increasingly under the spotlight and a groundbreaking new treatment for it will launch in the UK this year.

Belkyra (known as Kyrella in America) is an injectible treatment which destroys fat cells. It is perfect for small areas which may be unsuitable for Coolsculpting. I have been working with this research for some time now and I think it’s fair to say that when it launches here, you can expect long waiting lists.

Dr Jonquille Chantrey has clinics in London and Cheshire, drjonquille.co.uk

REVIV INTRAVENOUS THERAPY

Dr Chantrey says: Hydration and supplementation are huge trends. Infusions loaded with vitamins, minerals and powerful antioxidants go straight into the bloodstream. This means you receive 100 per cent of the ingredients. These replenish the body, boosting the immune system and preventing illnesses like colds and flu. REVIV is a growing trend which is likely to find its place in the top five treatments for years to come.

NON-SURGICAL HAIR REJUVENTATION

Dr Chantrey says: Hair transplants have become increasingly popular for men in the last few years and

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bright eyes

Beauty

picture: Vittoria CERETTI for chanel

Chanel has added a new product to its Blue Serum line, to target puffiness and dark circles in the eye area. In superfood fashion, Sardinian olives and Costa Rican green coffee boost the hydrating serum with antioxidants, and its melt-in texture means you’ll have time to apply before make-up in the mornings.

Blue Serum Eye, £57, Chanel, Boots, Canada Place

sovereign scent

Thameen’s new fragrance is named after the Kiani Crown of Persia (now known as Iran).

Its diamonds, pearls and over 300 emeralds inspired the opulent blend of cedrat, lavender and green pepper.

Kiani, £145 for 50ml,

Words: melissa emerson

back to the future

These lustrous lip glosses from MAC are part of its new Grand Illusion range.

Iridescent pearls give a holographic sheen to shades from silver to blackberry pink.

Grand Illusion Lip Colour, £18 each, MAC, Jubilee Place

thameenfragrance.com

mint condition

Winter lips can now get the Jo Malone treatment with this new mint and ginger-scented lip balm.

Rose wax softens, and kukui seed oil protects against cold and wind.

English Mint & Ginger Lip Care, £20, Jo Malone,

gold RUSH

The new Ageless Genius range from bareMinerals is a trio of neck cream, serum and eye cream. Mineral gold and a dose of Vitamin A are designed to boost natural collagen and plump out skin.

Firming & Wrinkle Smoothing Serum, £48, bareMinerals, Jubilee Place

Cabot Place

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1 6 -1 9 C A N A DA S Q U A R E LONDON E14 5ER 0 2 0 7 9 70 0 9 0 0 T H I R D S PAC E . L O N D O N

The greatest gadget show on earth The planet’s biggest Consumer Electronics Show took place in Las Vegas this month with almost 4,000 exhibitors in attendance. Always an important place for the global brands to showcase anything that’s thinner, larger, or faster than the competition, it’s also an incredible way to get hands-on with innovation that isn’t yet in shops.

Words: Peter Jenkinson

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B&O PLAY H9I £499, Bang & Olufsen, South Colonnade

B&O Play delivers another stunning set of headphones and has again improved the technology that lies beneath the surface. The leather-covered aluminium frame combines lambskin ear cushions and adaptive memory foam for unrivalled comfort. Delivering impressive bass levels, the H9i have a proximity sensor, meaning the music stops when you take them off.

Another function allows you to halt all input audio with just one gesture, so you can quickly tune in to your surroundings.

Superlative sound, good looks and up to 18 hours of Bluetooth usage from a single charge. Form an orderly queue.

TECH

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LG InstaView ThinQ POA, lg.com

We’ve had touchscreens and transparent displays on fridges before but now LG has managed to fuse both.

This unit has a 29-inch display that becomes see-through when tapped twice. Using its own software together with Amazon’s Alexa, you can tag your food with virtual stickers and expiration dates in order to get reminders when you are running low, or products are about to pass their best. On the inside is a panoramic camera, so you can check if you need more milk even when you’re not at home.

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Astell & Kern Acro L1000 £799, astellnkern.com

The high-resolution sound specialist has created this aluminium hub to bring superior sounds to your desk. Plug in headphones or speakers and enjoy rich and detailed sound delivery, enough to fill the biggest of boardrooms. The volume wheel – whilst looking smart – also features LED lights to show which setting you’ve selected, from basic blue to bass-boosting red.

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LG 4K HU80K Projector POA, lg.com

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HTC Vive Pro £2,500, htc.com

Television sets may have become slimmer, yet the fact remains that bigger screens still take up a fair-sized footprint. If your room has an open vertical space – ideal for watching film footage but not for having a TV set in situ – check out this high definition projector. LG’s compact short throw unit is able to cast a screen size of up to 150 inches, and can be placed on the floor, a wall or hang from the ceiling.

Leading the VR revolution, the team at HTC has upgraded its headset offering to incorporate earphones into the new design and deliver sharper images.

With an all-new wireless adaptor becoming available, it’ll make virtual reality less cumbersome and allow users to concentrate on the action they’re immersed in (and not the wire hazards).

TECH

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Sony AF8 65-inch OLED PRICE TBC sony.co.uk

Among the best screen technology on offer was this model from Sony, combining some of the deepest blacks and natural colours for an incredibly immersive image display. Over eight million self-illuminating pixels are under this TV set’s processor control and everything you watch is upscaled to almost 4K Ultra High Definition quality. Team your set with a home assistant such as Alexa or Google Home to enjoy total verbal control.

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Nanoleaf

£49.99, nanoleaf.me If you have multiple smart home devices, it really doesn’t feel that ‘smart’ to be toggling between apps on your device, and that’s where Nanoleaf comes in. This designer 12-sided remote control unit manages all of your smart home kit. Turn on lights, lift the blinds and increase room temperature with just a tap on one of its sides.

Just pre-program a series of functions you’d like your home kit to perform and watch them go live with a single command.

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ivy league

The Ivy Café Blackheath opened its doors at the south end of Greenwich Park in January.

Whether it’s for lunch, brunch, cocktails or dinner, there’s a menu to suit, and dishes feature British and European classics such as chicken milanese with black truffle mayonnaise, and shepherd’s pie. theivycafeblackheath.com

FOOD & DRINK Words: melissa emerson

eat your heart out

bottoms up

Monkey Shoulder’s drinks trolley is stopping by Canary Wharf on 15 February, serving cocktails and complimentary whiskies.

5.30-7.30pm, The Henry Addington, Mackenzie Walk

If you’re still out of ideas for the big day, Bōkan has a special six-course Valentine’s dinner menu to impress. If the heartthemed cocktail and melting dark chocolate dessert don’t impress, the views (it’s on the 37th floor) over the Canary Wharf skyline will. £90 per person, bokanlondon.co.uk

year of the dog

sweet treats

These Valentine’s Day creations are almost too beautifully decorated to eat, topped with hearts, truffles, buttercream and ganache. Buy separately, or in a Lola’s gift tin of six with a card, a mini bottle of Möet champagne and a red rose.

Lola’s Cupcakes, Canada Place

February marks the arrival of Chinese New Year, and Royal China’s Canary Wharf restaurant will play host to a traditional Lion Dance on 23 February, with costumed performers dancing to the music of drums, cymbals and gongs. Red envelopes – symbolising luck – will also be on tables from 16-23 February, with a select few containing gift vouchers for champagne or for a meal up to the value of £100.

Royal China, Westferry Circus

FOOD & DRINK

REVIEW

Island Poké Fresh from Hawaii, London’s latest food trend is a keeper Words: david taylor

P

oké (poh-kay) is having a bit of a moment. The Hawaiian import of raw diced fish with a heap of fresh ingredients and marinades is said to have originated from fishermen on the island.

Once on dry land, they would immediately prepare a portion of their daily catch, seasoning it with whatever they could find.

Piquant Japanese and east Asian flavours abound, so expect succulent tuna, salmon or octopus with soy sauce, green onions and seaweed in a classic poké bowl.

Regardless of its beginnings, poké is delicious, and the latest food trend to hit the capital. It isn’t surprising, then, that Canary Wharf has claimed a slice of the action with the recent opening of Island Poké.

The queue, still winding its way out of the restaurant, is a promising sight considering it opened in early December last year.

I go for the classic ahi bowl: cubed tuna with sushi rice, pineapple chilli salsa, seaweed, crispy shallots, spring onion and sesame seeds. Had I been more familiar with poké – or more imaginative – I could have made my own ‘BesPoké bowl’ (see what they did there?), choosing from four rice bases and more than a dozen super-fresh toppings.

Island Poké’s offerings are supremely fresh, surprisingly light and a welcome new option along Crossrail Place’s evergrowing culinary strip.

Island Poké, Crossrail Place

Breakfast bowl (left): Frozen açaí blended with mixed berries and almond milk, with toppings such as coconut shavings, goji berries and raw cocoa nibs Beet It bowl (right): Roasted beetroot Brown rice Chilli lime shoyu (soy sauce) Pineapple chilli salsa Spiced macadamia nuts Pickled ginger Spring onion Sesame seeds

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Signe dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;exception.

Available exclusively in fine wine shops and in the best restaurants. champagne-billecart.com

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Wedding stress is soon forgotten once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve touched down in the paradise of the Maldives and made an overwater villa home for the week.

Read more on p.90

a Loft Villa at COMO Cocoa Island

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the romance of venice and its pastel palazzos stand the test of time

the maldives is a dream destination for this coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honeymoon

exploring tea country and traditional cuisine in sri lanka

the coast is clear

Hemingways Watamu on the Kenyan coastline has reopened after a multi-million dollar restoration, with private balconies and ocean views now a given.

Try spa treatments inspired by indigenous plants, or go turtlespotting in the surrounding Watamu Marine National Park.

From $250 per night on a B&B basis, hemingways-collection.com

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Words: melissa emerson

e x pa

travel news

vel

bag,

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old meets new

ju t o n,

bil

Amanyangyun on the outskirts of Shanghai was an ambitious 15-year project, which involved saving and relocating a forest of camphor trees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one standing at 17m tall â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and 50 Ming and Qing dynasty houses. The latter have been reassembled into grand guest villas, with the addition of private pools and jacuzzis.

From CNY 6,000 per night including breakfast, aman.com

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top three

castles

paradise found amberley castle, uk

Located at the foot of the South Downs in Sussex, this quintessential castle hotel is around 900 years old and has 19 rooms.

Play croquet, admire the resident peacock and lounge by roaring fires.

From £195 per night for a classic room including breakfast, amberleycastle.co.uk

Fushifaru Maldives is now open on the region’s Lhaviyani atoll. Opt for a sunset-facing room with a private pool and open air bathroom, and head out to the nearby triangle of dive sites for a chance to see manta rays, turtles and white tip sharks.

From $381 per night on a B&B basis, fushifaru.com

city jet setters

Jetsmarter flights of three hours or less – including those to Paris and Milan – will now depart from London City Airport (rather than Luton). jetsmarter.com

Castello di Velona, italy

Enjoy 360 degree-views of Tuscan wine country from this hilltop hotel – a former military fortress dating back to the 11th century. Opt for a Castle room with vaulted ceilings and oak beams, or bathe in thermal waters in the more modern Sunset wing.

From €495 per night, slh.com

hygge hotel Schlosshotel Kronberg, germany

Stay among an array of antiques and original artwork by the likes of Rubens and Titian at this former home of Empress Victoria Friedrich, near Frankfurt.

Surrounded by parkland, it also boasts an 18-hole golf course.

From €265 per night, slh.com

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Scandi hotel group Guldsmeden is expanding into Germany, with an 81-room outpost in Berlin. All of the cosy rooms have a different design – some characterised by large four-poster beds – and its restaurant Sæson crafts modern Nordic cuisine with organic, seasonal farm produce.

From €115 per room per night, guldsmedenhotels.com

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A V enetian ROM A NCE The city of love where Casanova famously courted, never fails to impress - even second time around Words: Dawn Alford

F

alling in love was the easy part. Planning an Italian wedding wasn’t. But that September day in Venice will always be the most precious of memories.

So, to return to one of the world’s most beautiful and romantic cities for our tenth anniversary was perfect.

Even more so without the pressure of the big event.

This was a longed-for family holiday. When we married in 2007, our five-year-old daughter Hannah was a bridesmaid. Her younger sister Megan, now aged seven, desperately wanted to see what she’d missed.

Describing it for her just didn’t do justice to such a magical setting. Venice is actually a group of fascinating small islands, where art and history combine with the old trades and the beauty of the sea.

Even the most blasé of travellers is blown away.

What Megan found hardest to grasp was the concept that there were no roads – at least not in the normal sense.

In the water taxi from Marco Polo airport through the winding canals of west Venice, Megan was literally open-mouthed. “This is like another planet,” she exclaimed. “I am going to do the best show-and-tell

ever when I get back to school.”

We stayed at the legendary Hotel Cipriani, a 15thcentury pastel-coloured palazzo on the leafy island of Giudecca, which we agree is probably our favourite in the world.

We’d heard only wonderful stories. It was a safe bet that if it was good enough for guests like Robert De Niro, Madonna and George and Amal Clooney (who took over the hotel during their Venetian wedding), it was good enough for us.

In truth, it is breathtaking. You’d need a fortnight there to take in every sumptuous detail. Approaching it by boat is an experience in itself, as you glide across the lagoon passing gondoliers bobbing over the tide.

The island is what tourists lucky enough to venture

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Adding to the glamour is the world-famous Michelin-starred Oro Restaurant. Under Murano chandeliers and overlooking the water, you feel as though you’ve stepped onto a film set. The menu is magnificent, particularly the lobster, lemon risotto and delicate pastas.

Cips Bar is less formal but the food is just as mouthwatering. I dare you to resist the sorbetti selection, tiny pastries and the world’s best espresso.

For any guests feeling carb-related guilt, the spa is a must-visit. The range of treatments is too long to list here, but any of the facials using luxurious Valmont products are highly recommended.

The way that the staff manage to combine this very grown-up luxury with a child-friendly ambience says it all. On arrival, Megan was thrilled to be presented with a cuddly toy and the attentiveness to mini guests was evident throughout.

The hotel was a beautiful base to return to, having trodden the well-worn sightseeing path. We’d wandered around the Doge’s Palace, over the Bridge of Sighs and lingered in St Mark’s Square, wondering where 10 years had gone.

In fact, we decided, it would be an awfully good idea to make this a family tradition. A return to Venice every decade is a lovely prospect. there call ‘the real Venice.’ So peaceful and relaxed, it’s mostly inhabited by bona fide Venetians, yet is only five minutes from St Mark’s Square by boat.

Our elegant two-bedroom hotel suite, overlooking the lagoon and gardens was a study in understated luxury. Gold drapes and delicate silk wallpapers showcased the antique furniture that nestled seamlessly alongside more contemporary pieces, and the bed was one of the most comfortable I’d ever slept in.

There is a lovely intimacy about the layout of the hotel, which makes it feel more like a lavish villa. The silk brocade furnishings and frescoed ceilings add to the general opulence.

The hotel proved so popular when it opened in 1958 that a few years later, adjoining land was purchased. A stunning 600m heated outdoor pool (the only one in Venice) was soon built on it, and a dip in its warm waters will spoil you for any other lido.

The surrounding gardens are captivating. This is where Casanova is said to have wooed his many lovers, and you couldn’t imagine a better setting. If your timing is right, you may spot chefs picking fresh herbs and two cute pet rabbits hopping around.

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From €400 per room per night, belmond.com

The Belmond Hotel Cipriani on the island of Giudecca sports a 270-degree view out across the water, spanning from the Doge’s Palace to the church of St Giorgio and the islands beyond. Every inch of this iconic hideaway will enchant.

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Passport to

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paradisE

A honeymoon in the Maldives offers romance, luxury and sublime natural beauty. The only problem is that no other holiday will ever compare to it, writes CHARLOTTE PASHA

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T

he danger of actually visiting your top bucket list destination is that it disappoints in reality. The sights are more spectacular in photographs, the sea less technicolour than people say and the idyllic setting hampered by construction noises and unsightly buildings.

Reader, none of this is true with the Maldives. It is all that people say, and more.

When planning our honeymoon, my now-husband and I knew we’d want somewhere relaxing (the stress of planning a 350-person wedding is no joke), luxurious (I didn’t want to move more than 20 feet without someone offering me a fresh coconut or cold towel) and romantic (because if not now, when?). The Maldives, by all accounts, was the answer. So on December 1 last year we landed at Malé airport, sparkly new wedding bands on our fingers, ready to flop.

All Maldivian resorts are accessed via either a seaplane or boat ride from the airport, and the tricky accessibility is what keeps the Maldives elite, exclusive, and yes, expensive.

Many of the world’s most famous hotel names have a site here: One & Only, Six Senses, and the Four Seasons has two. Our pick is COMO Cocoa Island, a 45-minute boat ride away from Malé and set in the South Malé atoll. The whole island is teeny – we can walk the perimeter in 10 minutes – and ludicrously beautiful. All the villas are directly over the water, so you simply climb down a ladder on your private deck into the warm, turquoise embrace of the Indian Ocean, which can be seen from every single angle of the resort. The waters are spectacularly clear, so we see fish – and even baby sharks – each day as we sit on the deck to enjoy the sunset.

The 33 rooms all have a nautical theme, and some are designed to resemble local boats called dhonis. The colour scheme is muted to emphasise the huge windows. Think white paint, billowing muslin curtains and light wood.

Our room, in the most popular Loft Villas category, has high ceilings, a loft bedroom from which we can hear the sea at night and an open-plan living area with comfy cushions and expansive sofas for lolling. Handmade biscuits and Ceylon tea on offer in the little kitchen area also prove tempting. The sublime bathroom – the size of most London flats – boasts a freestanding bath, ownbrand products, fluffy towelling robes and an expansive his-and-hers wardrobe. There is also an outdoor shower in which you can get a tan as you shampoo your hair. Better still, halfway through our trip we’re upgraded to a COMO Villa, the top room category. It is utterly vast and designed to sleep four, with a fully stocked kitchen and outdoor dining table for nine, should you wish to entertain. The spaciousness is wonderful, but it is the three private decks – the most spectacular leading off from the living room – that make this villa so special. A hammock and sun loungers overlook uninterrupted views of the staggeringly turquoise lagoon meeting the deeper, bluer sea. If you’re looking to splash out on the trip of a lifetime, this is the room to book.

People complain that there is nothing to do in the Maldives, but we beg to differ. The pace of life is slower, but this gives ample time to really enjoy the unique setting. At dusk, sandbanks emerge as the tides go out and you can walk a long way out into the ocean, experiencing

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the surreal sensation of being utterly exposed. Just watching the wildlife is wonderful, from the crabs that scuttle along the beach to the array of birds that flutter by. You can read under palm trees on the expansive white sandy beach, do yoga on the dedicated pavilion, visit the hydra pool, check out the upmarket resort shop selling pretty kaftans and swimming trunks, have a session in the gym (if you must), or pop into the Marine Centre.

The latter is where you go to collect your snorkelling gear. It’s yours to keep for the stay, so you can just jump in whenever it takes your fancy. Did I mention there’s water absolutely everywhere? We see brightly coloured parrotfish in great schools, ample powder-blue surgeonfish and beautiful coral. Go for a daily 10-minute dip, or a guided 45-minute session – the aquatic life here is sensational.

Should you be feeling more adventurous, there are daily excursions on offer. We love the sunset cruise – a boat takes us out of the bay and we enjoy champagne and nibbles as we watch the sun go down on another gilded day.

Meanwhile, pilot whales (the second largest species of the dolphin family) and flying fish play near the boat. It is hard not to grin at how lucky and spoilt we are at this moment.

Turtle snorkelling is another highlight: we head out to a reef deep in the sea and jump in, getting unbelievably close to well-camouflaged sea turtles going about their routine.

As for food, our wedding diets well and truly meet their demise here. Food is utterly delicious: fresh, beautifully served and ample yet refined. While there’s just one restaurant, Ufaa, you won’t be bored with it, thanks to the wonderful views – it is candlelit and open to the elements – and changing menus.

You can also opt to eat in the seclusion of your own deck, or for a real treat, do dinner on the beach.

A small candlelit table is set up on a secluded sandbank. Service is excellent but allows for utter privacy and the cocktails flow as we soak in the surroundings, gasping at the starry sky. Were we not newly married, I would have absolutely expected a proposal here.

Breakfast is a combination of buffet and a la carte options, and we enjoy buttermilk pancakes, eggs royale and granola, along with fresh juices and coconut water on tap. Lunch fare has everything you could ever wish for, including the addition of a Shambhala menu for lighter, wellness-inspired options, like the excellent Big Vegetable Salad. The spiced fish burger is not to be missed. Dinner options range from themed nights of Indian Thali, Thai fare and seafood buffets, to a menu offering south-east Asian and Mediterranean choices of fish, meat and pasta, the former being a particular highlight. We enjoy local jackfish ceviche and grilled catch of the day, which tends to be kingfish and is wonderful. Don’t skimp on dessert: the banana and chocolate soufflé is a game changer.

The spa is excellent and an amenity on which COMO rightly prides itself on. One morning, my husband and I head over for the house special, a 75-minute Shambhala massage. A therapist tends to each of us as we lie side by side, applying calming essential oils and working out the knots in our backs and shoulders. It ends with a blissful head massage, which sees off the last of the wedding stress. We follow it up with a cup of the house specialty, sweet but zingy ginger tea, which becomes a firm fixture at mealtimes from then on.

There is plenty of time here for rest and relaxation, long conversations, dreamy romantic dinners and whiling away afternoons. Even when it pours with rain, which it does on occasion, it serves only to break up the otherwise incessant blue sky and sunshine, and allows for cosy time indoors. If you think I have rose-tinted glasses on, come to the Maldives. It’s impossible to view it any other way.

From £672 per night including breakfast, comohotels.com turn over for a taste of sri lankan cuisine

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Savouring Sri Lanka Nihal Senanayake, the executive chef at Jetwing Lighthouse hotel in south-west Sri Lanka, has a way with curries – and with words Words: Karen Bowerman

“Y

ou English!” he says, with a twinkle in his eye, “You do not cook like we do.” He grabs a handful of hard thibbatu (turkey berries or wild eggplant) and begins crushing them with a monstrous knife. “We would crush these all day long just to make vegetables or salad,” he says. “You just grab a carrot, chop then boil. Boiled carrots. That’s the English way!”

He tosses onion, curry leaves and green chillies into a pan of sizzling coconut oil and adds the thibbatu. I crunch through one of the berries, keen not to crack a tooth. It tastes of aniseed, is the size of a marble and just as hard.

My husband and I are on a culinary tour of Sri Lanka, a small island off the tip of India in the Indian Ocean. Nihal has just taken us to Galle’s 300-year-old market where, under colonnades strung with lights, traders sell lotus root and tubers, weighing them in traditional scales.

Nihal told us to pick whatever we like. “Sri Lankans can turn anything into curry,” he said. We specifically chose produce we’d never seen before: bitter kesel muwa (banana flowers), conical, maroon-coloured thumba kariwila (gourds with prickly skin) and thibbatu.

Now, after three intense hours of cooking, our table is crammed with curries, rice, and sambols (relishes made with vegetables and sun-dried shrimps known as ‘Maldive fish’). The cooked gourd reminds me of lightly-curried courgette; its spiny skin catches my tongue. The banana flower is sliced so finely it resembles vermicelli. The eggplant has been mixed with cinnamon and coconut but has retained its distinctive crunch. The curries go perfectly with local Lion stout.

Rice and curry is Sri Lanka’s national dish, although it’s actually an array of dishes, with rice the main ingredient and a variety of curries served alongside. While the island’s cuisine seems similar to India’s, it’s been heavily influenced by the years it spent under Dutch, Portuguese and British rule. It was the Portuguese who, in the 16th century, actually introduced chillies; 300 years later the British brought tea (camellia sinensis), planting evergreen estates in the cool Central Highlands, which is where our trip begins.

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Like the wine-producing regions of France, Sri Lanka’s tea country is divided into ‘districts’, which each produce very distinct brews. We stay near Hatton in the Dimbula region (1,200-1,800m above sea level), home to “high grown tea” that’s coppery red with notes of jasmine and cypress.

Our accommodation is Summerville Bungalow, a former planter’s home, owned by Ceylon Tea Trails on Castlereagh Lake. The focus is luxurious, colonial-inspired living; we start the day with Bed Tea (tea in bed) and end with teainspired (but still alcoholic) cocktails on the lawn.

One morning, we take a boat trip to a 100-year-old plantation on the other side of the lake where Tamil women, with baskets on their backs, balance among bushes on the slopes. Our guide, Marlon, introduces us to Ceylon tea.

“All we do is let it grow, then pluck it under the sun,” he says with a knowing smile. Even Summerville’s meals are inspired by tea. Chef Pradeep Susantha uses it to infuse roast chicken, poach pears and flavour cream. He also has a tea pairing menu which includes tenderloin beef with a small cup of peppermint, pork with smoky Ceylon Souhong and a chocolate dessert with Earl Grey.

Ceylon teas are mostly black but you can also get rare white tea made from a special variety of plant.

It’s called Silver Tips; its silvery buds are picked before dawn and stored in silk pouches to protect them from direct sunlight. It costs £60 for 125g at Harrods, so I can barely believe it when I find it on the complimentary cream tea menu at Cape Weligama, another Ceylon Tea Trails resort, located on a palm-fringed promontory in the south.

The tea is slightly fruity with hints of grape and honey. I sip slowly, enjoying the entire pot.

Food is again a highlight here, with a choice of northern or southern Sri Lankan breakfasts served in our garden villa. The Tamil-inspired dishes include dosai, (pancakes made from fermented rice flour), steamed rice cakes or idlis, and spicy vegetable sambhar (a kind of soup).

Next, we drive east to Jetwing Yala where we follow a candle-lit

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path to a table in the sand, illuminated by lanterns dangling from driftwood. Our waiter, Vipi, welcomes us to “dune dining.”

He serves fish timbale, seafood bisque and a platter of prawns, calamari and tuna. Every course is flavoursome and exciting.

From the coast, where the road is lined with racks of flat fish drying in the sun, we head inland to Kaduruketha, a luxury agro-tourism resort at the foot of the Poonagala mountains.

The local delicacy is buffalo. The hotel serves it at breakfast with a jug of intensely sweet kitul (palm syrup) to drizzle as you please. Kaduruketha grows red and white rice and sells its surplus to other Jetwing resorts. The assistant manager, Hasantha Lokugamage, says the aim is to be entirely selfsufficient. They already grow bananas, pumpkins and chillies.

Talk of chillies takes us to curry and Hasantha has some advice.

“If you really want to taste it, eat it with your fingers,” he says.

Sri Lankans believe taste is about texture as much as flavour.

The next day we do just that when our waiter, Eranda, takes us on a bike ride through paddy fields to his village. His mother and sister welcome us into their home, with curries of beans and jackfruit they’ve grown in the garden.

It’s a deliciously sensory experience. We sit with the bowls on our laps and share stories of food and our lives. There are smiles all round when my husband and I ask for more, and I’m excused for licking my fingers!

GET THERE

Rooms at Jetwing Lighthouse from £170 including breakfast; rooms at Jetwing Yala from £150 per night on a B&B basis; rooms at Jetwing Kaduruketha from £150 per night on a B&B basis, jetwinghotels.com Rooms at Ceylon Tea Trails from £550 per night on an all-inclusive basis; rooms at Cape Weligama from £370 per night on a B&B basis, resplendentceylon.com For more information, visit srilanka.travel

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book tickets today Saturday 3rd February CANADA SQUARE PARK, CANARY WHARF, E14 5AB

London's first barre class on ice is coming to Canary Wharf

icerinkcanarywharf.co.uk ICERINKCANARYWHARF

ICERINKCW

ICERINKCANARYWHARF

£38pp includes hour-long class and Botanical Brunch at luxury D&D Restaurant Plateau

canary wharf news

C A NA RY WH ARF

news

Canary Wharf Group Launches 2017 Sports Personality of the Year Awards Canary Wharf Group has launched its annual Sports Personality of the Year Awards which celebrates the best local sporting talent. It is calling for members of the public to nominate deserving local athletes, sports clubs and administrators for their achievements over the past 12 months. The 17th annual Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 15 March 2018 at the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf, and will be attended by special sporting guests along with a host of local dignitaries.

The awards categories comprise of the Canary Wharf Sports Personality of the Year, Senior Sports Team of the Year, Junior Sports Team of the Year, Sports Group of the Year, and Voluntary Sports Commitment Award, with prestige, trophies and cash prizes up for grabs in each category. The ceremony’s premier award will go to the Canary Wharf Sports Personality of the Year, whose previous winners have included: Ruqsana Begum for her achievements in Muay Thai Kickboxing in 2016, Tin Tin Ho, who won the 2015 award for her achievements in Table Tennis, and Mercy Brown for her achievements in Weightlifting in 2014.

Applications will be considered from Tower Hamlets and each of the boroughs surrounding

it, including Hackney, Newham, Greenwich and Barking & Dagenham.

Zakir Khan, associate director of Community Affairs at Canary Wharf Group, says: “These awards give well deserved recognition to the achievements of local people in their chosen sports. Canary Wharf Group is proud to have invested in sport in the surrounding area of London for over 25 years as part of its commitment to fostering social and economic development. The awards encourage sporting excellence and participation in this area of London. The event is attended by over 300 local sports people and administrators as well as a range of local dignitaries, including Poplar and Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick, Tower Hamlets Mayor John Biggs and celebrity sports personalities.”

Local sports people, clubs and administrators interested in submitting a nomination can visit canarywharf.com or contact the Community Affairs team on 020 7537 5123 for further details.

Entries close on Friday 16 February 2018.

canarywharf.com

“Canary Wharf Group is proud to have invested in sport in the surrounding area of London for over 25 years”

ABOVE: Ruqsana Begum, Winner of Canary Wharf Sports Personality of the Year 2016

@yourcanarywharf

@canarywharflondon

Purple reign Misty greys and calming beiges make way for ultraviolet – the hue of the year.

Here’s how to make it pop Words: Julia Zaltzman

I

f you haven’t already heard, Pantone’s 2018 Colour of the Year is a striking blue-based purple: Pantone 18-3838 Ultra Violet, chosen because Pantone wanted to pick something that brings hope and an uplifting message. “From exploring new technologies and the greater galaxy, to artistic expression and spiritual reflection, intuitive ultraviolet lights the way to what is yet to come,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive 18-3838 director of the Pantone Color Ultra Violet Institute.

Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to ultraviolet. The colour is often associated with mindfulness practices (a huge trend itself in 2017), which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world.

From left: black & key lake view bowl, £1,250, Adam Aaronson; The use of purple-toned lighting in meditation Michael Paul Fabrics C&C Milano; spaces and for other wellbeing purposes is believed Galatea Turquoise Violet Carpet, poa, Tufenkian; all available at the design to energise and inspire. centre, dcch.co.uk For 19 years, Pantone’s Colour of the Year has to the company for palette leadership, the selection influenced product process requires thoughtful consideration and trend development analysis. Experts at the Pantone Color Institute comb and purchasing the world looking for new influences, which can decisions in include films in production, travelling art collections, multiple industries, fashion, textures, social media platforms – and even including fashion, upcoming international sporting events. home furnishings “The Pantone Colour of the Year has come to mean and industrial design. so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of With the world looking

PANTONE

INTERIORS

design,” says Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. “As individuals around the world become more fascinated with colour and realise its ability to convey deep messages and meanings, designers and brands should feel empowered to use colour to inspire and influence.”

The good news for interior design enthusiasts is that ultraviolet was selected from the Pantone Fashion, Home and Interiors Colour System, the most

99

widely used and recognised colour standards system for fashion, textile, home and interior design.

Of course, when Pantone declares a colour trend, it’s not just focused on interiors but design around the world, so you can expect to see this shade being used everywhere from catwalks to make-up palettes. However, the skill for individuals lies in how to implement the quintessential Pantone colour language in our homes.

Ultraviolet can transform a room into one of extraordinary self-expression, adding spice and brightness with a tufted couch or accent wall.

Conversely, its polish can tone down a room with subdued modern pairings.

In large rooms, try dressing a bay window area in a bold wallpaper print, teamed with floor-to-ceiling curtains for maximum impact. For any successful scheme, however, it’s important to use plenty of different tones, from dark to light to give interest and depth, and so as not to overdo the strong accent colour. Don’t be afraid to indulge in every shade from the palest lilac with cushions and armchairs, all the way through to the deepest plum with lamps, accessories and artwork.

When it comes to pairing other colours with ultraviolet, the design consensus is to look to nature for inspiration. Green is a popular

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this page, FROM top: LENTI LENTI VASE (SET OF TWO), POA, Rebecca Vallée Selosse, roche-bobois. com; Circulo CoasterS, £137 FOR Set of FOUR, Anna New York, AMARA. COM; DISCO TINA CANDLE, £115, BAOBAB COLLECTION, AMARA.COM; sheridan australia collection, sheridanaustralia.co.uk; Ghost Buster Commode, £213.35, kartell, AMARA.COM

choice, but so too are shades of peach, copper and orange.

“This exciting choice for Colour of the Year works brilliantly in many different ways, for all different interior schemes,” says Brian Woulfe, founder and managing director of Designed by Woulfe. “For the brave, go hard on block colours and mix this vibrant hue with other visceral and stimulating colours in your home, in a Mondrian style. This will give your space a stylish edge – a heady cocktail of punkish rebellion and regal opulence.

“Alternatively, the intoxicating purple sits wonderfully with the popular grey, earthy tones of last year’s interior trends. Alongside these greys

lu x u ry lon don.co.u k

INTERIORS

this page, clockwise from left: Agave rug, £399, Ted Baker, AMARA.COM; A by Amara Haven collection; WATERPERRY FABRICS, POA, SANDERSON, available at the design centre, dcch.co.uk

“For splashes of ultraviolet, add silk or satin piping to cushions”

and ochres, the tones are softened and much more seamlessly introduced to preexisting interiors.

“Another great way to introduce a softer version of ultraviolet is to opt for cashmere or soft wool furnishings. For splashes of ultraviolet, add silk or satin piping to cushions, curtains or armchairs.”

Communicating originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking, ultraviolet is the most complex of all colours, because it takes two shades that are seemingly diametrically opposed – blue and red – and brings them together to create something new. The key for getting this trend to feel fresh and modern in your home is to make sure the colour really stands out. Find the most intense hue you can and let it take pride of place.

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CANADA WATER SE16

CHANGE YOUR VIEW Introducing The Terrace Collection

NOW OVER

60% SOLD

This spectacular view could be yours at The Terrace Collection at London Square Canada Water.  Premium 2 and 3 bedroom apartments  Generous roof terraces offering spectacular views  Stylish interiors with superior specification  Central landscaped courtyard  Concierge service  Less than 10 minutes’ walk from Canada Water tube station  Ready for Spring / Summer 2018 occupation

The Terrace Collection prices from £950,000 The Sales Suite and Show Apartment, 24 - 28 Quebec Way, London SE16 7LF, open Thursday to Monday.

Call 0333 666 0106 or email CanadaWater@londonsquare.co.uk

www.londonsquare.co.uk

External computer generated image depicts London Square Canada Water and is indicative only. Internal computer generated image depicts the living/dining area of The Terrace Collection at London Square Canada Water and is indicative only.

Details and prices are correct at time of going to press. December 2017.

London homes

& property showcasing the finest homes in your area

c o v e r i n g c a n a r y w h a r f, t h e r o y a l d o c k s , s t r a t f o r d , b o w & w a p p i n g

on the up

br and ne w homes close to a crossr ail station make canada water a top choice this ye ar

External computer generated image depicts London Square Canada Water and is indicative only. See page 122

Gainsborough House, Limehouse E14 A beautifully presented three bedroom apartment This exceptionally refurbished three bedroom apartment offers an abundance of natural light with views over Limehouse Marina. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, balcony, private parking and concierge.

EPC: B. Approximately 133.55 sq m (1,438 sq ft).

Leasehold: approximately 176 years remaining

Guide price: £995,000

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

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/CNW170046

Canary Wharf Mag Feb 2018

18/01/2018 15:26:41

CW

41

HELPING YOU MOVE IN 2017 If you are considering selling or letting a property this year, now is the time to speak to an expert.

We pride ourselves on exceptional service and unrivalled market knowledge, with a global network of 418 offices across 60 countries that can showcase your property to the widest possible audience.

KnightFrank.co.uk/canarywharf cwharf@knightfrank.com 020 3641 9294

All potential tenants should be advised that as well as rent, an

Guide price: £450 per week

Pan Peninsula, Nr Canary Wharf E14

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A beautifully presented one bedroom apartment located on the eighteenth floor.

Bedroom, bathroom, reception room, kitchen, balcony, leisure facilities, 24 hour concierge and parking. EPC: B. Approximately 44.41 sq m (477 sq ft).

Available furnished cwharf@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3641 9294

administration fee of £276 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £485 per week

Boardwalk Place, Nr Canary Wharf E14 A well presented two bedroom apartment. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, storage and parking. EPC: C. Approximately 85.48 sq m (920 sq ft).

Available furnished cwharf@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3641 9294

CW Mag february 2018 Lettings

16/01/2018 17:30:43

Burr Close, West Wapping E1W

Tequila Wharf, Limehouse E14

Ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this modern built 5th floor apartment within this ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this apartment within the ever so popular South gated and popular canal side development.The apartment benefits from an open plan Quay development which is situated close to the historic St Katharine’s Docks.This Wellington Terrace, E1W lounge and fully fitted kitchen, double bedroom, 3 piece bathroom suite£695,000 and balcony studio 7th floor property which isWapping currently arranged as a 1 bedroom apartment 2is Ideal double bedroom, 2 storey house set within this gated CCTV development.

Theviews property modernised to include with towardshas thebeen Canaryfully Wharf district. Laminate wood floors. Security entryfor the City commuter and is near to Tower Hill.‘Waitrose’ supermarket is double glazing, replacement ceilings, alarm, central heating operated viacentral remote control, smart phone orapartment is conveniently phone system. Gas heating.

Porterage/security.

The within close proximity.

The property offerswood a fittedfloors, kitchen,,reception, bathroom and system located close Secure to multiple transport linksparking to includespace.

Limehouse station. balcony. Share of freehold chainkitchen. property.Double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes. internet.

Lounge.

Fullyno fitted Garden.

Underground

Potential to extend into the loft subject to planning permission. Close to Wapping station and local amenities.

Price: £399,999 Price: £399,999

Lowder House, Wapping E1W

Hermitage Waterside, West Wapping E1W

ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this purpose built top floor 2 double bedroom ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this modern built penthouse, 2 double bedroom, apartment.The apartment has been extensively refurbished and modernised 2 bathroom apartment within this popular West Wapping dockside development. throughout by the current owners.The property comprises of a light and airy lounge The apartment benefits from a separate fully fitted kitchen, reception and a balcony Tudor House,Tower Bridge, SE1 £1,595,000 leading onto a fully fitted and integrated kitchen. 3 Piece shower room. Balcony. accessed by double doors from the reception.The apartment benefits from 6th floor luxury 2 Double Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Plan Reception Room, largeviews balcony.

Master bedroom Double glazing.

Wood floors. Inset spotlights. Located within theOpen heart of Wapping outstanding of Hermitage Basin and thewith Riveren-suite Thames. Secure underground and walk in wardrobe.

Modern Integrated Kitchen, Balcony, Harrods Residents Swimming close to Wapping station, local amenities and bus routes.

Chain free. 24 Hour Porter by parking space. Estates, Close to St KatharineGymnasium, Docks and Tower Hill station.

Pool, Lifts to all floors. Close to Local Shopping Facilities, Walking Distance toPrice: London£925,000 Bridge.

Price: £440,000

ea2 Estate ea2 Estate AgencyAgency Heritage | 35a Court Wapping | 8-10High Sampson StreetStreet | Wapping | Wapping | London | London E1W 1NR E1W 1NA t: 020 7702 3456 t: 020 7702 3456 | f: 020 7702 9168 www.ea2group.com | enquiries@ea2group.com www.ea2.co.uk | property@ea2group.com

Waterman Way, Wapping E1W

Riverside Mansions, Wapping E1W

Overground and close to Waitrose.

Rental Price: £370 Per Week

Rental Price: £425 Per Week

Sovereign Court, Wapping E1W

Palace Wharf, Fulham W6

ea2 are pleased to offer for rent this 2 Double bedroom, duplex apartment within this ea2 are pleased to offer to let this 2 bedroom modern built apartment within this sought after development of Wapping. Situated on the ground floor with reception popular canal side development within the heart of Wapping.The apartment benefits door leading onto communal garden areas. Benefiting from£1,300 on site concierge from a modern bathroom, modern openE1W plan fully fitted kitchen and lounge. Laminate Roding Mews, Wapping per &week communal gymnasium.

Offering fitted wood floors.

Views of Wapping station, local bus routes house for ea2 are pleased toOrnamental be able tocanal. showClose youtothis 6 bedroom 4 bathroom rental with a garden.

Thisa recently property is akitchen, Reception & first floor bathroom. space. to Wapping station and local amenities. and veryamenities. unique property and has views over the canal. Would suit 6 professional people.Allocated Close toparking Tower HillClose and Wapping

Ea2 are pleased to offer for rent this 2 bedroom recently refurbished apartment set with this quite square.The apartment benefits from lounge, fitted kitchen, bathroom and wood floors. 24 hour porterage/security. Close to Wapping and Shadwell stations, Cascades Tower, Docklands E14 local bus routes and amenities.

Ea2 are pleased to offer for rent this 2 bedroom newly Converted luxury first and second floor duplex Warehouse apartment within this exclusive gated riverside development.The apartment benefits from an open plan lounge and ‘Metris’ kitchen £500 week with fully integrated ‘Miele’ appliances. 2 Luxury fitted bathroom suites.per Balcony and 2 double bedroom, 2 bathroom 11th floor apartment within this secure modern development.

Comprising a reception roof terrace.

The apartment boasts under floor heating,‘Cestron’ audio visual system, room with water/ City views, fitted kitchen, master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe & enand suite bathroom, air conditioning digital video dooradditional entry system.

shower Balcony. pool, Gymnasium & Tennis court. Concierge.

Rentalroom.

Price: £450Swimming Per Week Rental Price: £1,500 Per Week

ea2 Agency Estate Agency | 35a Wapping StreetStreet | Wapping | London E1W E1W 1NR 1NA ea2 Estate Heritage Court | 8-10High Sampson | Wapping | London 020 7702 3456 t: 020 7702t: 3456 | f: 020 7702 9168 www.ea2group.com | enquiries@ea2group.com www.ea2.co.uk | property@ea2group.com

Mayfair Showroom 66 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 3JL 28 offices in central London and over 60 across the capital

Millennium Drive, E14 ÂŁ1,100,000

A three bedroom, two bathroom warehouse conversion in the Millennium Drive gated development.

This property has high ceilings, a Juliet balcony overlooking the River Thames, private gated parking and wood flooring, energy rating c.

Dexters Canary Wharf 020 7517 1199

Western Gateway, E16 ÂŁ1,500,000

A stunning split-level penthouse apartment ideally located in Royal Victoria Docks with a private terrace. The property has three double bedrooms, three bathrooms, an open plan kitchen/reception room, a wraparound balcony and allocated parking, energy rating c.

Dexters Canary Wharf 020 7517 1199

dexters.co.uk

Belgrave Court, E14 £2,200 per week

A penthouse apartment with four bedrooms located in the desirable Belgrave Court with 24-hour concierge service. The property has four bathrooms, wood flooring and a private terrace with river views, energy rating c.

Dexters Canary Wharf 020 7517 1190

Marshall Street, W1F £1,500 per week

This impressive ‘New York loft style’ apartment in West Soho has two double bedrooms, two bathrooms and wood flooring. The gated development benefits from 24-hour concierge, underground parking and features exposed brick walls, energy rating c.

Dexters Covent Garden 020 7067 2400 Tenants fees apply: £180 per tenancy towards administration, £60 reference fee per tenant and £144 towards the end of tenancy check out report (all inc VAT).

www.onetouchinvestment.co.uk enquire@onetouchinvestment.co.uk 020 3709 4275

Retirement Home Investment Sector Fundamentals “Historically, care homes were seen as a place of last resort but now they are as much about a lifestyle choice.”

Tom Morgan – senior director in healthcare at CBRE

• Number of over 85s is expected to more than double between 2014 - 2039 from 1.5 million to 3.6 million.

• Robust investment - Berkley Care Group reports making £30,000 of profit per bed before tax and other expenses.

About Windlestone Hall • Luxury retirement lodging • 10% return over a ten-year commercial lease • Invest from £117,500 • Fully managed, hands off investment • Grade II listed building – 19th Century Country Estate • Buy back options in year 5 at 110% and year 10 at 125% More luxury retirement investments available in numerous locations across the country

10% net income over a ten-year commercial lease

288 Bishopsgate | London | EC2M 4QP London-based property investment company.

Call for consultations with our property experts held in our office.

Pipers House SE10 A stunning apartment with views towards the river, benefiting from secure parking and concierge service.

Guide Price ÂŁ550,000 Leasehold Two bedrooms

One bathroom

One reception

EER B

East Greenwich Office 020 3846 1414

Guildford Grove SE10 Beautifully presented and re-modelled three bedroom period home.

Price ÂŁ1,300,000 Freehold Three bedrooms

Two bathrooms

Two receptions

EER E

West Greenwich Office 020 8858 9911

johnpayne.com

@johnpayne

The Paragon SE3

Effingham Road SE12

Spacious and beautifully presented garden apartment in this Grade I Listed Georgian crescent.

Victorian family home located within the desirable Lee Manor conversation area.

Price £1,125,000 Leasehold (SO/FH)

Price £900,000 Freehold

Three bedrooms

Two bathrooms

Three bedrooms

One bathroom

One reception

EER C

Two receptions

EER E

Blackheath Village Office 020 8318 1311

Lee Office 020 8852 8633

Coleraine Road SE3 A beautiful five bedroom, gable fronted, semi detached Victorian family home.

Price £1,525,000 Freehold Five bedrooms

Two bathrooms

Two receptions

EER F

Blackheath Standard Office 020 8858 6101

Blackheath Village Blackheath Standard Greenwich (West) Greenwich (East) Lee

020 8318 1311 020 8858 6101 020 8858 9911 020 3846 1414 020 8852 8633

Greenwich South Street SE10

Glaisher Street SE8

Maurer Court SE10

Period four bedroom semi-detached house situated in West Greenwich.

Well-presented two double bedroom apartment available to rent in Millennium Quay.

A dual-aspect apartment located in a popular location with stunning views across The Thames.

£2,900 PCM

£1,500 PCM

£2,000 PCM

4 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • 1 Reception • EER D

2 Bedrooms • 1 Bathroom • 1 Reception • EER C

2 Bedrooms • 1 Bathroom • 1 Reception • EER C

West Greenwich Office 020 8858 9911

West Greenwich Office 020 8858 9911

East Greenwich Office 020 3846 1414

Gilbert Close Royal Pavilions SE18

Eastcombe Avenue SE7

Reed Close SE12

Bright and spacious two double bedroom flat with leisure facilities included and off-street parking.

Two bedroom, end-of-terrace Edwardian House.

Available now and offered unfurnished.

Two bedroom unfurnished home, in an excellent location for Lee station and Colfe’s School.

£1,500 PCM

£1,590 PCM

£1,400 PCM

2 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • 1 Reception • EER E

2 Bedrooms • 1 Bathroom • 1 Reception • EER E

2 Bedrooms • 1 Bathroom • 2 Receptions • EER D

Blackheath Standard Office 020 8858 6101

Blackheath Standard Office 020 8858 6101

Lee Office 020 8852 8633

Old Woolwich Road SE10

Tizzard Grove SE3

Lee Road SE3

Situated in a great location close to Maritime Greenwich and boasting many original features.

Newly constructed townhouse with roof terrace in the popular Kidbrooke Village.

Beautifully refurbished top floor apartment in the heart of Blackheath Village.

£3,000 PCM

£2,500 PCM

£1,650 PCM

5 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • 1 Reception • EER E

3 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • 1 Reception • EER B

2 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • 1 Reception • EER D

East Greenwich Office 020 3846 1414

Blackheath Village Office 020 8318 1311

Blackheath Village Office 020 8318 1311

Our standard tenant fees are £120 agreement fee and £90 per person reference fee.

Other fees may apply, visit johnpayne.com/tenantfees for more information.

johnpayne.com

@johnpayne

Beckenham 020 8663 4433 Bromley 020 8315 5544

Chislehurst 020 8295 4900 Locksbottom 01689 882 988

Orpington 01689 661 400 West Wickham 020 8432 7373

Bickley BR1 Completed in 1904 and Grade 1I listed, ‘Crosshand House’ is one of Bickley’s most iconic homes.

£2,600,000 F/H Nine bedrooms

Five bathrooms

Six receptions

EER N/A

Contact Chislehurst 020 8295 4900

West Wickham BR4

Orpington BR6

Impressive detached house offering 1,900 sqft of accommodation and a south-west facing garden.

Ideal for the discerning purchaser is this exceptional detached home in the prestigious Orpington Knoll area.

£829,995 F/H

£975,000 F/H

Five bedrooms

Two bathrooms

Four bedrooms

Two bathrooms

Two receptions

EER E

Two receptions

EER D

Contact West Wickham 020 8432 7373

The Acorn Group, incorporating:

Contact Orpington 01689 661 400

langfordrussell.co.uk

BICK L E Y, BR 1

Sat Nav Ref: BR1 2AP

Five bedroom home now available to view A stunning collection of four magnificent, detached four and five bedroom executive homes proudly situated on Woodlands Road, Bickley.

Boasting an impressive 3,913 sqft of accommodation which has been thoughtfully designed over four floors. Each home benefits from a cinema room, leisure/games room and an integral garage with off-street parking for two cars. Perfectly situated for an array of renowned local schools, the popular Chislehurst Village and both Chislehurst and Bickley train stations.

Prices from ÂŁ1,650,000

Viewing by appointment only: 020 8315 6996, acornnewhomes.co.uk

SELLING FAST – DON’T MISS OUT!

WHY RENT WHEN YOU CAN BUY? LONDON HELP TO BUY IS AVAILABLE ON OUR APARTMENTS & PENTHOUSES PLUS, WITH THE RECENT STAMP DUTY CHANGES, BUYING COULDN’T BE EASIER! * 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apar tments & penthouses

Apartments from £285,000 Penthouses from £355,000

Integrated appliances and flooring included

Minutes from Harold Wood station with Crossrail in 2019†

First completions Summer 2018

LONDON HELP TO BUY* ON A 1 BEDROOM PENTHOUSE! You

5% Deposit

London Help to Buy

40% Government Equity Loan

£142,000

Mortgage Lender

55% Mortgage

£195,250

1 bedroom penthouse 100% Yours

£17,750

£355,000

kings-park.co.uk 01708 348578 VISIT OUR MARKETING SUITE AND SHOW HOME TODAY!

Marketing Suite and Show Apartment open daily 10am-5pm 1a St Clements Avenue, Harold Wood, London RM3 0BE *Stamp Duty changes as of Budget 22.11.17, London Help to Buy on selected plots only and subject to terms and conditions, 40% loan is interest-free for first 5 years, please ask a Sales Consultant for more details. †Source: crossrail.co.uk. Prices and information correct at time of going to print. January 2018.

7028 CPUK KP ad 297x210.indd 1

17/01/2018 12:28

PROPERTY

Five-star living at London’s latest riverside destination Welcome to The Corniche, a new development of luxury apartments that overlook the River Thames

S

t James, part of the Berkeley Group, is leading the way in residential luxury living with the opening of its latest riverside development: The Corniche by world-renowned architect Foster + Partners. The development is part of the wider regeneration of the Albert Embankment which comprises a trio of schemes including Merano Residences (Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners) and The Dumont (David Walker Architects), which together will form a striking new skyline for one of the most iconic stretches of the River Thames.

Foster + Partners and interior designers Goddard Littlefair took inspiration from the River Thames to design a fluid shape that offers arresting views of the river and the city throughout the development. The Corniche comprises 252 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and two four-bedroom penthouses.

The development offers an array of entertaining and relaxing facilities. The Skyline Club Lounge and roof terrace on the 19th floor has breathtaking west-facing river views as well as an incredible backdrop of the city.

The Corniche’s state-of-the-art fitness centre provides experienced personal trainers and the latest equipment from Technogym, the luxury Italian gym equipment manufacturer. There is also a spa, infinity swimming pool, sauna, steam room, treatment room and a generously-sized hydropool fitted with a hydrotherapy jet bed. Each area of the health and wellness suite has been tailored to offer a unique and relaxing experience.

The 24-hour concierge has an impressive glass and marble entrance with exaggerated ceiling heights and a glamorous feature fire wall. Residents can also access the entertainment offering located at the neighbouring development, The Dumont, which features a cinema, ten-pin bowling, games room and the 12th-floor residents’ lounge with roof terrace and private dining room.

Located opposite Tate Britain and close to Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery, the destination plays an important role in extending and continuing the South Bank’s thriving cultural scene. The area’s commercial hub offers high quality commercial, café and restaurant spaces, introducing a new place where residents and visitors can come together to relax, work and play.

Prices at The Corniche start from £6,250,000 for a threebedroom apartment and prices at The Dumont start from £681,000 for a studio apartment. Contact St James on 020 8003 0566 for The Corniche or 020 8108 7016 for The Dumont, stjames.co.uk

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19th Floor Skyline Club lounge balcony at The Corniche

19th Floor Skyline Club lounge at The Corniche

Swimming pool at The Corniche

Spa at The Corniche

Live on the finest curve of the river The Corniche is an exclusive riverside address with panoramic views over the River Thames and the City. Highly specified three bedroom apartments, occupying a whole floor, within the exclusive Skyline Collection. Enjoy a lifestyle that is ahead of the curve.

Prices from ÂŁ3.6 million. Move in next year.

New Show Apartment launching Saturday 10th February.

For more information visit the Marketing Suite at 21 Albert Embankment | Open daily from 10am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6pm www.cornichelondon.co.uk | 020 3733 3520

www.cornichelondon.co.uk Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies

2 YEAR 5% NET RENTAL YIELD GUARANTEE FiftySevenEast is a unique collection of contemporary one, two and three bedroom apartments.

The development has been meticulously crafted with every feature carefully considered, resulting in a fusion of luxury, innovation and originality.

FiftySevenEast features a residents’ lobby, 24-hour concierge and cycle storage.

FiftySevenEast is conveniently located adjacent to Dalston Kingsland Station providing links into the City.

Purchase a 3 bedroom apartment at FiftySevenEast and receive: • Designer furniture pack supplied by Hatch Interiors • Contract, administration and check-in charges paid • Letting and management fees paid •Ground rent and service charge paid •No void periods •Inventory and deposit registration charges paid

Three bedroom apartments from £825,000* Show apartment open to view, contact us to arrange a viewing: Call: 020 3818 8819

Email: fiftyseveneast@taylorwimpey.com

Website: FiftySevenEast.com Selling Agents

CGI and Photography are indicative only. *Plot specific. Prices and information are correct at time of going to press.

the_city_magazine_full_page_1.5.indd 1

21/11/2017 13:28

LIMITED COLLECTION OF URBAN HOUSES Winner of the Innovative Living Award, presented by Sunday Times British Home Awards

A limited number of 3 bedroom homes now remain in the Urban Houses collection at Kidbrooke Village.

These innovative contemporary homes within Blackheath Quarter feature:

 Impressive roof terrace with timber decking and artificial grass, ideal for low maintenance modern living  Maximised amount of natural light through cleverly designed features such as lightwells  Spacious open plan living, world class design and high quality finishes

Showhome open to view. Call a member of the sales team on 020 3411 7692 to arrange a viewing

Limited availability 3 bedroom homes, priced at £915,000 Estimated completion – February 2018

Sales & Marketing Suite open daily 10am to 6pm (Thursdays until 8pm) Wallace Court, 40 Tizzard Grove, London SE3 9FD Photography depicts Showhome at Kidbrooke Village and is indicative only.

Prices and information correct at time of sending to press.

www.kidbrookevillage.co.uk Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies

Delivered in proud partnership with:

PROPERTY

INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO External computer generated image depicts London Square Canada Water and is indicative only

Photography of the show apartment is indicative only

Canada Water, SE16

With significant regeneration of the area underway, opportunities to purchase new build homes in Canada Water are being snapped up.

Award-winning developer London Square has already sold 70 per cent of its new Canada Water site, but a mixture of its 95 apartments in the borough of Southwark are still available.

The development is situated in Zone 2.

Less than 10 minutes’ walk from Canada Water Station, it takes just one stop to reach Canary Wharf, a future Crossrail interchange station.

The one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments all boast a private balcony or terrace – so residents can make the most of the sweeping views from the Shard

to Canary Wharf – while a communal landscaped courtyard offers additional outdoor space. Designed by Assael Architecture, the homes come with fully integrated Siemens kitchen appliances and underfloor heating.

The Terrace Collection meanwhile offers two- and three-bedroom apartments with premium outdoor space – up to 1,300 sq ft – and a premium finish. Additional features include an integrated wine cooler and boiling water tap in the kitchen.

Apartments will be ready for occupation between March and July 2018, and visiting the one-bedroom show apartment gives an idea of the modern, boutique-like feel of living here, with a neutral colour palette complemented by blue and gold tones.

Price

from £520,000 for a onebedroom apartment, from £950,000 for apartments in The Terrace Collection.

Help to Buy is available.

0333 666 0106 londonsquare.co.uk

Internal computer generated image depicts the living and dining area of The Terrace Collection and is indicative only

122

lu x u ry lon don.co.u k

ALL OF LONDON, ALL AROUND CONTEMPORARY ONE, TWO AND THREE BEDROOM APARTMENTS IN LONDON’S MOST ECLECTIC QUARTER

Just three minutes’ walk from Aldgate East Tube Station, where the City meets the vibrant East End, London Square Spitalfields is a stylish collection of one, two and three bedroom apartments set around the beautifully landscaped grounds of Mallon Gardens and Grade II listed Toynbee Hall.

Intelligently designed and well-appointed, each apartment has a private balcony, winter garden or terrace and all benefit from a concierge service.

Prices from £705,000 To arrange your appointment call 0333 666 0929 or email Spitalfields@londonsquare.co.uk The Sales Suite, Commercial Street, London, E1 7SA. Open Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 6pm, Wednesday 11am - 8pm.

Call 0333 666 0929 or email Spitalfields@londonsquare.co.uk

www.londonsquare.co.uk

External computer generated image depicts London Square Spitalfields and is indicative only. Internal computer generated image depicts Apartment 10 at London Square Spitalfields and are indicative only. Details and price are correct at time of going to press, January 2018.