BELGRAVIA Resident’s Journal
DECEMBER 2014
I SSU E 031
The Belgravia Residents’ Journal is published independently by Runwild Media Group with regular editorial contributions from The Belgravia Residents’ Association. To become a member of the BRA, visit www.belgraviaresidents.org.uk. We would highly value any feedback you wish to email us with: belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk; or telephone us on 020 7987 4320.
w w w. R e s i d e n t s J o u r n a l . c o . u k (020) 7987 4320
Dear Resident
,
From local carol services and late-night shopping to sleigh rides and Santa’s grottos, things are beginning to feel decidedly festive. As the party invitations start to arrive, be sure to jot 7 December down in your diary as the ever-popular Belgravia Christmas Sunday returns to spread seasonal cheer through Elizabeth Street and Pimlico Road. Read more about this and other local highlights on the Notebook (page four). This month, we have asked the most discerning gift-givers in Belgravia to reveal what they will be leaving under the tree for their loved ones. Those struggling for inspiration should turn to page 10 to find out more. Anyone who wants to bypass all the mistletoe and wine, however, should take a leaf out of Henry Hopwood-Phillips' book. This month, he headed to Ransom Art Gallery to meet renowned photographer Terry O’Neill whose latest exhibition is drawing to a close. They talk about his rise to fame, what it was like to be a snapper to the stars and discovering Elton John. Flick to page six for the full interview. Please do not hesitate to get in contact with all your updates by emailing begravia@residentsjournal.co.uk. We look forward to bringing you all the latest news in 2015. Until next year…
Managing Editor Francesca Lee
Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood
General Manager Fiona Fenwick
Assistant Editor Lauren Romano
Managing Director Eren Ellwood
Executive Director Sophie Roberts
Main Editorial Contributor Henry Hopwood-Phillips
Senior Designer Sophie Blain
Head of Finance Elton Hopkins
Editorial Assistant Jennifer Mason
Production Hugo Wheatley, Alex Powell Oscar Viney & Amy Roberts
Client Relationship Director Felicity Morgan-Harvey
Editorial Interns Tom Hagues & Tamir Davies
Publishing Director Giles Ellwood
Business Development Manager Nicola Bloomfield
Above / Paul McCartney playing at Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach's wedding, 1981. Photo by Terry O'Neill, on show at Ransom Art Gallery. Read more from page six.
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The Notebook
Who and what have been moving and shaking in Belgravia recently? We bring you up-to-date
Christmas bonanza
Belgravia’s most enterprising streets – Elizabeth Street and Pimlico Road – are teaming up on 7 December to transform the area into a winter wonderland. A grand total of 65 stalls will be involved, selling everything from sheepskin boots and gold-plated jewellery to cakes and handmade cheeseboards. Father Christmas insists that this will be his last appearance in Belgravia before the big night and has informed the authorities that he will be accompanied by one of his favourite elves, Dinky. To celebrate their arrival, stilt walkers and balloon modellers will work up a festive fanfare, with some of the area’s greatest voices joining in. Don’t miss performances from Fulham Brass Band, Eaton House School choir, St Michael’s Church choir, St Barnabas’ Primary School and singers from St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square, who all promise to empty their lungs into the cold but magical night. 7 December, free. Elizabeth Street: 11am-5pm; Pimlico Road: 11am-4pm
Shop until you drop Tucked away between Knightsbridge and Sloane Square, Motcomb Street launches the festive season in Belgravia by keeping its specialist shops and salons open until 8.30pm on 4 December. The Holland Park Opera Singers will be singing in exultation and tralala-ing their hearts out in anticipation of Father Christmas, who promises to pay a visit while everybody tries to kick-start their Christmas shopping.
Missive from Grosvenor
An enchanted garden
Father Christmas would never dream of missing out Belgrave Square Garden, and in order to honour his visit between 1pm6.30pm on 6 December, an array of treats are planned. The ticketed event includes sleigh rides, a screening of the film Frozen (presented by Nomad Cinema), Christmas crafts, a fairy wish garden, a petting zoo and a wintry grotto that will get everyone from the ages of one to 91 in the Christmas spirit. From £15, film screening from 4pm, visit whereisthenomad.com/ belgrave-square to book
‘Belgravia truly comes alive at Christmas, and this year will be no exception. We will once again be transforming the area into a winter wonderland and putting on a host of festivities for all the family to enjoy. Following the success of last year’s Christmas events, we are very much looking forward to another fantastic season and hope to invite visitors to again experience the magic of Belgravia.’ Catherine Stevenson, director, South Belgravia at Grosvenor’s London Estate
Stop press: open all hours
In addition to the local boutiques that always open on Sundays (Christian Louboutin, Rococo Chocolates, Pierre Hermé and Giuseppe Zanotti), the following shops will also be open on 7, 14 and 21 December: Carolina Bucci, Louise Kennedy, La Stupenderia, ON Motcomb, Amouage, Annick Goutal, L&B and Agent Provocateur. Hervé Léger will be open on 7 December too. If anyone feels peckish before the shopping commences, pop into Pont St at Belgraves for a venison pie.
Japanese arrival
A new Japanese restaurant has arrived in Grosvenor Gardens. Kouzu has launched after head chef Kyoichi Kai (who up until recently was the head chef at The Arts Club on Dover Street) sought to open an all-Japanese kitchen, with a team who have worked in some of the capital’s most authentic oriental restaurants. Situated opposite The Goring Hotel, Kouzu takes residence in a Grade-II listed building with a ground floor cocktail lounge and mezzanine sushi bar. The menu is extensive with beautifully cooked dishes such as seared tuna in an apple soy vinegar and marinated chopped lamb with asparagus and bacon. 21 Grosvenor Gardens, SW1W 0JW, 020 7730 7043 (kozu.co.uk)
Woman of independence
Collider/Cadmium Mandala by Chuck Elliott
Democratic republic of art
Art Movement, a consultancy seeking to demystify the process of buying art this Christmas, has teamed up with the Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel. The boutique hotel will house the consultancy’s ‘Artist in Residence’ programme, which features a number of creations displayed in the hotel lobby at different times of the year. Chuck Elliott will be kicking proceedings off, with a selection of etchings and other works on paper that explore the fluidity of colour, movement and light. Eschewing the atmosphere of a gallery, the event hopes to bring a splash of fun and informality to a business long considered a tad serious. Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel, 21 Lowndes Square, SW1X 9ES, 020 7823 1234 (jumeirah.com)
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Fiona Arrigo
Grace Belgravia has been hosting a series of talks by psychotherapist Fiona Arrigo, entitled The Arrigo Programme. The inspirational subjects, centred on ‘Everyday Wisdom for Everyday Women,’ will turn to a discussion of: ‘The New Woman: Becoming the Heroine in Your Own Life’ on 10 December. Fiona will show how the world in the modern era is disconnected and how the ‘new woman’ can change one connection at a time. The mentor will also promote the importance of selfempowerment, so book a ticket for an evening of emotional enlightenment.
£35, 7pm-10pm, The Arrigo Supper Club, Grace Belgravia, 11 Halkin Street, SW1X 8JL (thearrigoprogramme.com)
Stealing your attention
Judges are hitting the streets this Christmas to review some of the area’s window displays. The competition to be crowned as Belgravia’s best window is all for a good cause. Each entrant is encouraged to donate something from their shop to go inside a large Christmas hamper that will be donated to children’s charity The Reedham Trust and the Living Communities Fund, which supports neighbourhoods in Westminster. Look out for the winners in a future issue.
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The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios during the recording of their first hit single and album, Please Please Me, 1961
Exposure
time
Terry O’Neill
Recently awarded a Royal Photographic Society medal, Terry O’Neill talks to Henry Hopwood-Phillips about how he became one of the world’s most famous photographers
Queen, London, 1975
in the sky and taking off – that sort of thing.’ He remembers getting homework at the weekends at London Airport where he practised some of his shots. One of his frames happened to contain the then Home Secretary, Rab Butler, suited and booted, asleep among a heap of African chieftains. ‘A reporter noticed this and asked if he could take my film. Of course I said yes, and before I knew it I had a job every Saturday for the Sunday Dispatch.’ One of the main reasons people loved Terry’s shots was that he didn’t know, or at least acknowledge, the formalities being observed. ‘Back in those days, there were only two types of airport picture: people going up the stairs and people going down the stairs, usually waving,’ he laughs. Nobody was in the same parts of the airport as he was. It took about six months of this before Brian Fogarty, a photographer at the Daily Sketch, noticed
Everybody thought I must know who the next big thing would be
‘I
wasn’t really interested in photography at all,’ Terry O’Neill starts, in a manner I hadn’t anticipated. ‘In fact, I was forced to take an interest in it.’ What next, we find out that Judy Garland hated singing? ‘Oh I remember her!’ Terry recalls – and he doesn’t mean on the silver screen. Actually, Terry’s first job was nowhere near a screen or studio. Instead, British Airways (BOAC at the time) offered him a placement at its graphic unit, where a colleague (Peter Campion) would bring in photography manuals. ‘I guess I slowly started to take an interest and asked him which lens did what,’ he admits coyly. ‘But the job wasn’t the most exciting of stuff. It was just interiors of aircraft, planes flying
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Terry and asked him if he wanted to team up. However, Brian died en route to the Aga Khan’s wedding shortly afterwards, and Terry was offered his job. ‘I told the picture editor I didn’t really know what I was doing, but he replied that he’d look after me.’ Terry was nervous and for good reason. He was a decade younger than the next youngest guy on Fleet Street. But he had an ace up his sleeve, or in his moisturising cream; his youth meant he had access to all the young pop bands that were making a name for themselves. ‘The papers took a gamble and asked me to mingle with these pop groups because I was about their age,’ Terry recalls. His first job was photographing The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios. ‘When it was published, the paper sold out. So I followed that up with a new group called The Rolling Stones. My boss thought they looked like prehistoric monsters. So we ran them with a good-looking band called The Dave Clark Five in a feature labelled “The Beauties and the Beasts!”’
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Paul McCartney playing the piano at Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach’s wedding, 1981
Amy Winehouse posing for The Sunday Times Magazine, 2008
Mick Jagger, London, 1976
The Rolling Stones, Hanover Square, London, 1964
However, Terry soon got tired of the hypocrisy of Fleet Street, hitching and ditching people on the basis of utility. ‘I was 23 and the editor said: “The day you walk out that door you’re finished, this paper has made you and without us you will be nothing.”’ Over in Hollywood he quickly made a name for himself as the man who shot with 35mm film instead of the 10x8 or
In those days, there were only two types of airport picture: people going up the stairs and people going down 5x4 films that others used, which took days to develop. ‘It was more portable and I could take pictures in almost any light; I think people liked the informality of it,’ Terry clarifies. When he returned to England the era of pop he had captured in its springtime was on the wane. ‘And of course
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everybody thought I must know who the next big thing would be,’ Terry says with a wry smile. He needn’t be so dry; his choice was Elton John. After snapping him at his flat in Edgware Road, Vogue bought the pictures and, after a lull of 12 months, the singer became huge. Discussing his tactics for getting the shots that are now internationally famous, he highlights his first encounter with Frank Sinatra. ‘The actor just said “Right, you’re with me,” and then ignored me for the next fortnight. It was my final big lesson in photography: you need the distance that gives freedom, not necessarily friendship, to get the right shot.’ Despite the fact that Terry has captured all the stars that, in hindsight, represent most of the pantheon; he never did capture the celebrities who stoked his own fires as a jazz musician. With his hands on his knees, he looks at the ceiling, before letting out a belt of a laugh. ‘Ha! Yes, you’re right. Funny that...’ 25 Years of Rock n’ Roll will run at the Ransom Art Gallery until 3 December, 62-64 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8LS, 020 7259 0220 (markransom.co.uk)
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ELIZABETH STREET ELIZABETH STREET SW1 SW1 Bespoke fine jewellery We invite you to visit our website www.devroomen.co.uk 59 Elizabeth Street, London, SW1W 9PP +44 (0)207 730 1901
of
A time
GIFTS As Christmas looms, the Belgravia Residents’ Journal takes a look at what you will be placing under loved one’s Christmas trees, and what you hope to receive in return
Tessa Packard
At the top of my wish list this Christmas is a set of 19th-century papiermâché anatomical flower studies. I find them unbelievably beautiful as both scientific specimens and decorative objects. I plan to give a cashmere scarf by Horiyoshi III to a family member who really appreciates unique prints. All the Horiyoshi designs are inspired by Japanese tattoos. (tessapackard.com)
Ed Olver
The gift I’d most like to receive is a surprise holiday. I hear Abercrombie & Kent do some good ones − the Caribbean, the Galápagos... I’m not picky, as long as there is sunshine! Before I leave I should probably give my nearest and dearest a gift, so they will receive Cassabo hand-stitched leather phone cases. They are beautifully made; I like to inscribe messages and crests on them. Both of my brothers have recently married and I now have two lovely sister-in-laws who will be receiving one of these cases from me for Christmas – happy wives, happy brothers! (britishpoloday.com)
Alison Cork
Sophie Michell
I would love to get a rose-gold Daytona Rolex but I suspect that’s not happening – it’s just a smidge over budget! Other than that, something pretty and frivolous that I would never buy myself. I adore items like Diptyque candles or artisan perfumes. Les Senteurs on Elizabeth Street is my idea of heaven. This Christmas I’d really like to give a classic, long-lasting gift such as silver Hermès cufflinks or a cashmere jumper. These are possibly boring but very useful. (pontst.com)
I would love to be given an utterly decadent and unashamedly glamorous set of lingerie – hopefully, a certain someone will get the hint! In turn, I will be giving (and implore others to give, too) a bit of help to Carlos, the ever cheerful Big Issue seller on Motcomb Street, who is making his way as a photographer and selling his work online. (alisonathome. com)
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Tomasz Starzewski I want socks – in fact, I want lots of them – long and colourful from Turnbull & Asser. I’m also a big fan of Charvet woven ties and Harry Fane cufflinks. But top of my list? Historical thrillers from Belgravia Books as they are the only ones who have them translated from the original French. In return I’m happy to give tomes on photography, fashion and art, admittedly, in part, so that I can then borrow them. But let’s get back on to what I love: TomTom Cigars on Elizabeth Street has huge Diptyque threewick candles, and mince pies from William Curley because they’re the best. (starzewski.com)
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Henry Hopwood-Phillips
Last year I facetiously claimed that I wanted lots of Krug and I’m not sure I even said I planned to give anything. That worked a treat and a petite blonde (who shall remain nameless and therefore shameless) sent me three bottles of the stuff. So this time I’m going to ask for Grand Brulot, which is bringing back the masterful mix of coffee and cognac that officers used to quaff in Napoleonic times. This year I would like to give the philosopher Slavoj Zizek the chance to meet me.
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Francesca Lee
Lauren Romano
Last year I tried to reinstate the art of letter writing among my friends. As nobody reciprocated, I’m going to up the ante and would like to receive a selection of writing paper from the Grosvenor Stationery Company. If that doesn’t make them dig out their fountain pens, I need to get some new friends. In terms of what I would like to give, I think a candle-making workshop at Rachel Vosper would earn me brownie points with my family.
I would love to receive a bespoke Hawick Cashmere jumper – there’s nothing better than having a one-ofa-kind piece. In return I’d buy my fiancé a year’s subscription to the Curley Chocolate Club by William Curley so that chocolates would be delivered to our home each month. Although don’t blame me if they happen to disappear…
Michaela Vergottis
Below / Untitled by Pavlos Samios
Giving is an easy one: I will commission a painting of me and my husband with our three black pugs by the artist Pavlos Samios. On the receiving side, well, I am not that fussy, but what girl doesn’t like to be spoiled? I have had my eye on a leather jacket from Belstaff for a long time. (michaelavergottis.com)
Louise Kennedy
I always enjoy giving gifts that I would treasure myself. This Christmas I know many of my friends would adore our new edition ‘Kennedy’ bag in scarlet red. As I travel so much, the gift I would truly love is the Pampering Facial from Grace Belgravia. The perfect glow for the party season! (louisekennedy. com)
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Mao Wen Biao with Cala Lillies and a golf colour study
Polo by Mao Wen Biao
Sailing by Mao Wen Biao
Capturing
the kinetic
Henry Hopwood-Phillips talks to internationally acclaimed artist Mao Wen Biao and his larger-thanlife patron John Hunter about how he became the go-to man for London’s best commissions
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ao Wen Biao is talking about MI5 visiting him. It has his patron (and property developer) John Hunter recalling the time ‘a man in a great big overcoat, flashing a badge,’ approached him after the sale of one of his projects, Earl’s Terrace. I never knew the art world was so ardently followed by the authors of subterfuge. Side by side they make a funny pair. The animated Mao is prone to explosions of excitement as John jollily recounts their tales of derring-do – and paint. Most of Mao’s stories begin with a similar device that goes a little like this: “I was doing [something banal] and then [somebody like the Barclay brothers] would call me. I would answer the phone and say “Who are you?! I don’t know who you are, why are you calling my phone?”’ and then (in between guffaws at his cheeky tone of lèse-majesté) Mao would remember the offer of a very tidy commission. And what a commission list the artist boasts – the RAC and Holland Park gardens – the latter highly commended by Sir Hugh Casson, former president of the Royal Academy of Arts, stand out in particular. Even before he arrived in England in 1986 Mao already had one of the largest paintings to be completed in the last century to his name. The battle scene at Marco Polo
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Bridge from the Second SinoJapanese War now hangs in the Beijing Museum (the nearest thing China has to the Tate). John Hunter ‘That was almost 30 years ago though,’ Mao reminds me, dismissing his early accomplishments with the swish of a hand, as John recounts the time he’d been redeveloping the astronomer Sir James South’s old patch on Campden Hill, and had needed some porticos painting. ‘I went to the Royal College of Art, but all the students were on holiday apart from Mao and his Chinese friends.’ John had a handful of them, including Mao, paint an impressive 120 yards of porticos in the space of two weeks. Mao’s bread and butter ever since have been the grand paintings that people hang above their mantelpieces, and also huge murals – but often with a twist. He shows me Claude Lorrain-esque landscapes with tiny incongruous objects featured in them. A sense of humour invests itself in a monk carrying a golf bag here; a courtier wielding a mobile phone there. It isn’t just scale that Mao has mastered, however, it’s also a sense of movement. Almost every sport has been painted and sold for the price of a house by the artist, but John’s favourite hangs above his own fireplace: The Charge of the Light Brigade. ‘I’m allowed to get sentimental about it because it’s my own regiment, but that’s not what’s magic about it. The high drama of 17 lancers at full tilt, the grimacing horses and the cannonballs haphazardly whizzing everywhere like billiards are captivating.’ Mao Wen Biao will be showing his latest work at The Osborne Studio Gallery until 6 December, 2 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8JU, 020 7235 9667 (osg.uk.com) John Hunter is a founding partner of Tenhurst (tenhurst.com)
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Old master and
young gun
Catch of the day
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am old enough (alas, not very old) to remember when salmon was not a status food. If anything, it was the lazy choice of millions of grandmothers who plonked the leaping pesce on green beans, shoved it in pastry, placed licks of lemon on top, or fried the solitary fillet – and waited for the muted applause. That all changed in the sushi revolution that commenced with the Noughties and had Britons acknowledging that translucent slices of salmon were
I remember when salmon was not a status food now worth the sum of annual pay packets – if placed on vinegared rice, accompanied by dabs of green horseradish and chopped in open kitchens. This sensible pricing scheme has been justified in recent years by the fact that the number of fish that exist has been reduced to approximately 10, four of which are suicidal in glass bowls and have names. But people still want salmon, and Salmontini – as you may have guessed from the name – is here to cater for those who can afford the fish in its non-cat-food form.
THE VERDICT Atmosphere: 6/10 Food: 8/10 Service: 8/10 Value for money: 9/10
TOTAL: 31/40
Reversing the trend of British public schools (whose little outposts survive on the last puffs of a global elite buying into ‘colonial cool’), Salmontini is a Middle Eastern export that isn’t a fossil fuel, which is odd because I don’t think anybody associates salmon with the Levant. It would be like discovering Scotland was the world’s biggest exporter of coffee beans. The restaurant sits where The Palm used to offer ‘allAmerican’ and all over-priced steaks on Pont Street. The head chef, Spanish-born Esteve Prats Grau (previously of Tom’s Kitchen), has gone for the opposite approach: simple food at sensible prices. This is reflected in the space, which although pale and grey, manages to make the leather, wood and steel feel respectable and chic rather than sanitised and medical. The service doesn’t blow your socks off, but it can at least be accurately described as a very strong breeze around the elastic. My dreary day is assaulted by a happy chappy who moves around our table like Louie Spence on the dance floor, delivering salmon’s greatest hits with aplomb. My favourite dish, by far, is the Californian maki rolls, but most items on the menu have a signature style that will doubtlessly prove popular. They mix crisp and soft textures and fresh and zingy sauces with refined presentation. This is such a successful combination that I am unusually disappointed when the black cod arrives. Where is the oleaginous swimmer with its peachy-pink hues that tastes so self-righteously clean and morally good? And that’s ultimately why salmon sells isn’t it, it looks clean – it’s a purgative food. We eat it for the same reason that we eat Special K in the morning. Not because it tastes like the cardboard smells, but because it makes us feel like the lady in the red swimsuit from the advert pretends to. Go to Salmontini for catharsis − there are not many restaurants you can say that about.
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1 Pont Street, Belgravia, London SW1X 9EJ, 020 7118 1999 (salmontini.co.uk)
‘This town ain’t big enough for the both of us’ sang ’70s pop group Sparks. Henry Hopwood-Phillips heads down to Pont Street to see if Belgravia’s latest addition, Salmontini, competes with one of the area’s biggest hitters, The Thomas Cubitt
Setting the standard
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astropubs. I’m not sure I like them. It’s not that ‘spit and sawdust’ boozers float any sort of metaphorical maritime craft either – no; their models of masculinity have failed to come to terms with the existence of men like Dale Winton and Russell Brand. And restaurants, well, they fulfil a purpose – mostly to impress potential other halves, albeit at great cost. But gastropubs − they tend to fall between stools: neither ‘gritty’ enough to play sanctuary to the salt-of-the-earth types and yet not poncey enough to win one points in the places that matter. Enter Thomas. That’s a good solid name. It’s an apostolic name (meaning ‘twin’); the perfect choice for Belgravia’s master builder, Mr Cubitt. It’s also the sobriquet of the area’s only gastropub if you discount The Orange as positively Pimlico and The Pantechnicon as a distant outpost on the marches of Knightsbridge. In summer, the colourful pantalons of the gentlemen, the plate-sized sunglasses and tall coifs of the ladies spill out on to the pavement here in a splendid display of peacockery, but now, in the folds of winter, the custom shares a greater likeness to Inuits than any member of the pheasant family. Describing the interior, people often fall back on words such as ‘relaxed’ and ‘upmarket’. In reality, it’s a gigantic room made of so much wood the pub might have been hewn from the bowels of a tree trunk, and it’s semiseparated from its own rear by a square bar, which is so popular it’s advisable to bring a megaphone to be heard. Upstairs, things are even more ‘relaxed’ and ‘upmarket’, which is usually code for waiters hanging around the table’s horizon and chilli squid being on the menu, but here, actually means what it says in the dictionary. The menu is a citadel of British classicism. It’s all black pudding, salmon, crab, sea bass and pork. My companion comments on how happy I look, but I’m sure I’m just high on the oak wax. To start, there’s a celeriac and thyme soup drowning some roasted walnuts, decorated with a few glugs of apple brandy. This tastes
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how Christmas postcards look, but I’m a functioning alcoholic so if it had a bit more of a kick to it, I would not have complained. This is swiftly followed by fillet of venison, which had its richness augmented by a halo of butternut squash, chestnuts and vanilla bean jus. This isn’t going to win any awards for originality but then I’m not sure that’s the point. You don’t have to go round hunting for cracks
The menu is a citadel of British classicism in the zeitgeist, coming up with new ways to make peas work with ice cream or create a Guatemalan take on the chicken drumstick, to be the best. The Thomas Cubitt doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It knows what “foodies” are scared of articulating: most of us, most of the time, just want to eat food we are used to scoffing, cooked better than we could ever cook it. And here The Thomas Cubitt is bang on the money. 44 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9PA, 020 7730 6060 (thethomascubitt.co.uk)
THE VERDICT Atmosphere: 9/10 Food: 8/10 Service: 8/10 Value for money: 7/10
TOTAL: 32/40
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Handbags &
gladrags There aren’t many boutiques that offer seminars with influential women alongside the latest sartorial trends. Catherine Foley investigates Elizabeth Street’s Tabitha Webb
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here’s a new label on Elizabeth Street which can list Pippa Middleton, Miranda Kerr and Emilia Fox among its fans since it launched last year. Its founder is Tabitha Webb and she intends to take the everyday retail experience back to the bespoke. Determined to offer more than most fashion labels, however, the eponymous boutique has started to host a series of talks on selected Tuesday evenings. These open-invitation sessions invite some of the most influential women from various industries and then open up the floor for a question-andanswer session over a glass of Champagne. December’s offering is Merryn Somerset Webb, editor-in-chief of Moneyweek who is on hand to answer any pecuniary queries the audience might have. These popular talks by leading ladies have resonated with a local audience and will form an important part of Tabitha’s on-going business model. ‘I want to grow organically through word of mouth,’ she tells me, which says much about how comfortable she feels having found a niche within the competitive market. On the fashion front, the store is an expansion of Tabitha’s online platform, which launched in early 2013. It aspires to throw modernity out of the window and hails back to the 1950s for inspiration. As a designer, Tabitha refuses to adopt the throw-away attitude to fashion, preferring to refresh rather than replace her collection each season. ‘Women can come in and buy something that will work all year round. They can also visit a week later and find something they haven’t seen before, without waiting months for something new,’ she explains. As well as offering a ready-to-wear collection, the shop houses a studio for the brand’s made-to-measure service. You won’t find fast-fashion or fads among the rails here either, although time-pressed shoppers will be impressed to learn that they can book a morning fitting and collect their perfectly altered dress in the evening. Those with more time to play with can work with Tabitha on a unique outfit, from £850. Attention to detail is second to none. Tabitha assures me that she sources the majority of her fabrics from the UK, which helps to keep the price tag down.
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The creations that fill the space flatter a whole spectrum of women, from those in their twenties to others in their sixties. Just in my eye range, beautiful, classically-cut dresses hang, injecting a little elegance into an everyday outfit. Making a bolder statement, meanwhile, the collection of occasion gowns incorporate sumptuous silk and lace into their designs. Having launched so successfully, Tabitha tells me her next move is into accessories, with plans to introduce a range of handbags next year. She sums up her philosophy on the subject succinctly: ‘I want to offer a luxury product that does not require too much time in store, but still leaves the buyer feeling excited,’ she concludes with a smile. And now, with the latest line-up of talks to look forward to, the shopping experience at Tabitha Webb will be rewarding in more ways than one. The next talk with Merryn Somerset Webb takes place on 2 December. Places are limited; to attend, email rsvp@tabithawebb.co.uk 45 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9PP (tabithawebb.co.uk)
Words of wisdom November’s Tabitha Talk featured Glamour editor Jo Elvin who had this to say… On her native country: ‘I was kicked out of Australia for not being sporty enough and looking too pale.’ On work events: ‘There’s none of the perceived glamour involved in getting ready for events. Usually I work right up until the last minute, get changed at work and rush off to make a sweeping entrance.’ On the workplace: ‘Whatever the industry, take pride in your work. ’ On her motto: ‘Success is doing what you love.’
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The
Belgravian THE LORD AND ALAN
Henry Hopwood-Phillips talks to one of Belgravia’s parish priests, the Reverend Alan Gyle, about where he thinks the Church is going
‘W
hen I was a member of the staff at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, I told the Dean “I don’t want to be a parish priest,”’ the Reverend Alan Gyle informs me, as I try to touch on the times he has felt God’s influence clearly. ‘I’d been working in the rarefied atmosphere of Windsor for so long that I was excited at the prospect of becoming a university chaplain at Imperial College London.’ It was not to be, however, as God (and the Bishop of London) led him to St Paul’s on the marches of Belgravia and Knightsbridge instead. It is not the most obvious place to end up for a man who was born a Presbyterian ‘bashing out the same four hymns each Sunday’ in Aberdeen. But it was from music that a theological sensibility grew. A keyboard player and singer from the age of 14, he studied music at Aberdeen University and swiftly became aware of different sources of music and Christianity to the common stock he’d been exposed to. ‘So when the Episcopal Church offered me a position as an organist, I leapt at the chance,’ he explains. The young scholar was also attracted to the fact that the Mass permitted colour, incense and a cacophony of voices. ‘I remember being amazed that they had a choir!’ he recalls. As we pick up speed, quite a bit of Christian terminology comes out. The vicar is clearly aware of it, too, because he reminds me that ‘we can no longer assume people will actually know any of it.’ And so he has a programme in place called ‘Christian formation’ which focuses on certain 21st-century issues and places them in an historical and a Christian context. At the moment the group is concentrating on the Holy Land. Not that the Reverend takes for granted the fact that people will seek out this knowledge from the Church any more. One of the things he believes has changed during his lifetime is that the Church used to rely on attendance from people who believed they ought to go. Now, however, fewer feel compelled to. ‘That’s not to say there aren’t still contact points [such as baptism, marriage and death], but it does mean we have to work harder, through mission, to bring these people into the congregation.’ I evoke Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s image that the Church is returning to the ark, tossed by unfriendly waters, and suggest that it may simply be returning to the pre-Constantinian settlement. ‘Yes, that’s very perceptive. Whilst Constantine embedded Christianity in civil life, creating what we might call “Christendom”, we are now at the other end, trying to work out what it means to be outside the establishment,’ the vicar responds. ‘That means travelling to see the beauty of the world but it also means going to the darker places that challenge
us.’ He is talking about an impending trip to Auschwitz. Is he prodding people’s hearts to acknowledge the incidents when many have felt God wasn’t there? ‘Yes, to an extent,’ he admits. ‘Many of the great 20th-century theologians felt the need to respond to the Holocaust,’ referring to the likes of Paul Tillich, Jürgen Moltmann and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Talking of dark places, I risk approaching the vicar on the subject of doubt. He is quite sure all must question, ‘because if you’re not asking, you are dead from the neck up,’ he reasons. The dark night of the soul has a powerful history within the Church, ‘There’s an immense tradition of silence, emptiness and absence that forms part of the mystery of the understanding of God.’ But the vicar draws his own strength from the Anglo-Catholic tradition, immediately apparent at St Paul’s in the rood screen and Stations of the Cross. He attended St Stephen’s House in Oxford, a college famous for its high-church heritage. ‘Staggers, people called it,’ he smiles, ‘along with Wykkers [the Protestant Anglicans at Wykeham College] and Cudders [Cuddesdon College where liberal Anglicans study]. We all used to play what we cruelly called “inter-faith” football matches,’ which makes it all sound like an A. N. Wilson sketch: very Wodehousian.’ On a serious note, however, the Oxford movement is the Reverend’s favourite pillar of the Church. Founded by men such as Edward Pusey and John Newman, it was the movement that had St Paul’s built in the first place. ‘They worked to restore the dignity and beauty of worship and to transform society,’ he tells me. It’s a transformation that involves getting people to work together who don’t necessarily think alike. ‘It’s hard to get those who think differently to really engage with one another. Today most people only ever get together to pursue similar interests, but church isn’t like that,’ the vicar clarifies, as we laugh over the fact that it’s popularly seen as vice versa (that church is for clones and society is for free thinkers). This puts the Reverend slightly on the defensive and leads him to insist the Church is not a ‘decaying, fey, distanced’ organisation, and his Christmas diary is a timely reminder that he is right. Listing 17 charity carol concerts, most involving audiences of more than 850 people (and celebrities), who last year donated £750,000, as well as his parish events, his hard work serves as a reminder this Christmas that ‘If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.’ (John 15:7)
I told the Dean “I don’t want to be a parish priest”
St Paul’s Church, 32a Wilton Place, SW1X 8SH, 020 7201 9999 (stpaulsknightsbridge.org)
Illustration / Russ Tudor
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Great British Escape
Living the high life Henry Hopwood-Phillips gets in the Christmas mood 30ft above the rest of us
H
ow many times have you lived in a tree? Childhood may give one brief licence to pursue the life of a monkey, but once puberty hits these arboreal dreams are dismissed by the vertically gifted as the height of frivolity. It wasn’t always so − in fact, the Nordic gods loved trees so much that their entire cosmology pivoted on the fate of Yggdrasil, an ash tree. Therefore, as I zip past the walled kitchen garden at Chewton Glen on my golf buggy (completing the country club look) and feel the gradient increase, I get excited about joining Hanuman, the Dryads and other figments of my imagination in their divine but ultimately immature existence, nearer the birds than the ground. But this treehouse totters on stilts, looking very serious and adult-like compared to the death-traps from which I used to shoot at imaginary soldiers. For starters, it has a floor that’s been hewn from Purbeck’s peninsula, its fittings are all local cedar and play host to fixtures that look like they’re from catalogues that sell items for the price of small mortgages.
And I’m not even on the balcony yet where the view is most certainly that of a Roman commander defending his lone outpost against hordes of barbarians who will doubtless emerge from the sea of trees (more than a hundred acres) at
This treehouse totters on stilts, looking very adult-like compared to the death-traps from which I used to shoot at imaginary soldiers any second – not that that is the official website description, of course, but it should be. Perhaps it’s the hot tub to my right that marks out such notions as ridiculous. These 12 stations of civilisation are a good height from the ground (30ft), but I’m a little peeved to be so
near another treehouse – a night’s stay is more than £1,000, after all. That is until I realise that the intruding offender is, in fact, also my treehouse, my bedroom and bathroom to be precise, and that I’m merely standing in the living room. At 925 sq ft, these tree ‘houses’ are more like ‘mansions’. But I cannot enjoy it for long. I have a date at the hotel’s spa with a mattress that boasts a hole I can put my head in. Pummelled like putty, I retrieve myself sporadically from the clutches of a world of perfect posture and unconsciousness, if only to stop myself from the humiliation of dribbling. The whole operation is slick and generous (even offering treatments for children). The swimming pool that these dens of luxury hover above is saturated in Roman-themed trompe-l’oeil, which isn’t to my taste, but Europe’s biggest hydrotherapy spa pool certainly is. Chewton Glen used to have a reputation for being the place where the aspirational (and the golfer) liked to come, but the atmosphere and clientele are spot on, with an air of being formal yet lived in – a place where nobody takes themselves too seriously. The fabulous five-room gastro dome, known as Vetiver, has a cosmopolitan menu, geared at refuelling its athletic guests, which reminds me to feel guilty about all the sports I could have done (ninehole golf, croquet, tennis, biking, clay pigeon shooting, archery, falconry, buggy racing and duck herding among others). My first choice is about as adventurous as Harrison Ford might be if he were cast as Indiana Jones today: charcuterie with pickles. Fortunately, the chef is braver than I am, and the slab comes out heaving with duck-liver ballotine, pork terrine and pickled red cabbage. The tagine that follows is sweet with sultanas and cloying caramelised onions (I pretend to prefer more macho garlic, turmeric, coriander and capsicum tagines, but that’s just for show) and as I tuck in, a loud and authentic-tasting carousel of dense, tangy notes hits my tongue. I skip dessert because my taste buds have a relationship with coffee best described as that of a Stockholm Syndrome victim, and instead I hop into a golf buggy and head back to my treehouse where I set fire to the (pre-arranged) contents of the wood burner and put on From Russia with Love to pick up tips from Bond on how to get used to this kind of lifestyle. Chewton Glen, Christchurch Road, New Milton, Hampshire, BH25 6QS, 01425 275 341 (chewtonglen.com)
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Beauty &Grooming Beauty from the outside in and TLC on our doorstep
Top of the
locks
With clients based from London to Los Angeles, Parisian-trained hairstylist and ambassador for luxury hair brand ILuxe Saint-Barthélémy, Mathieu Clabaux brings the best elements of the salon experience to the privacy of your home. Briana Handte Lesesne meets him What are the benefits of a home visit versus a salon visit? A trip to the salon can be a noisy and sometimes stressful experience, while home visits are personally tailored to the client. I prefer to work this way, so that I am fully engaged with whoever I am with. It’s also about convenience. If you are going out for the evening and have your hair styled at home there is no need to worry about rushing to catch the Tube to make it back in time to get dressed. With a home visit you simply walk to your room after your hair is done and voilà, it’s all there. What can clients expect from a home visit with you? I treat all my clients individually as my services are bespoke. We discuss their lifestyle and tastes and then I consider the shape of their face. The right cut, colour and style can make you look 10 years younger. My signature look is natural yet timeless. All I ask from a client is to give me their time and I will give them results. If they have fine hair, for example, I advise them not to wear it too long and consider a fringe to fill it out. I take great responsibility in my job; I love people and listen to what they have to say. What is your speciality? I specialise in chic and elegant hairstyles and beautiful colour, as well as creating a long-term hair-health plan for each individual. What is your favourite hair treatment or service? I love doing weddings and believe a bride should have her hair up; a loose up-do rather than a tight bun is soft,
feminine and classic. Hair extensions are also great fun and I use a clip-in variety so the results are not permanent. Currently a lot of clients are requesting my Le Smoothing Express treatment, which deeply moisturises and reduces frizz yet maintains hair body. What is the biggest mistake women make when it comes to their hair? Washing it too often – ideally you should only wash it once a week. The water is very hard, especially in London. Just think how your favourite blouse would look if it was washed with detergents on a daily basis? It would fade and lose its lustre. It’s the same with your hair, which is much more delicate. Regular trims also maintain optimum hair health and I highly recommend my clients do this every five weeks. Which hairstyle trends have you noticed recently? Plaits are becoming more and more popular – it’s a quick and simple style that can look sophisticated and work both in the daytime and evening. Having said that, I advise my clients not to become victims of fashion. Everyone has their own unique personality and our haircut and colour is the foundation of our look. Do you have any hairstyle tips for Christmas and New Year’s Eve? Your hair is your identity, so have fun during the festive season. For Christmas shopping, try a chic ponytail teamed with a gorgeous scarf around your neck. It allows you to run from shop to shop without messing up your hair. For a dinner party, a loose up-do is absolute perfection. (mathieuclabaux.com)
Festive
feel
Beauty treats worthy of the most deserving Christmas stockings
1 Guerlain Coque d’Or Perfumed Shimmer Powder Body & Hair, £55 (johnlewis.com) 2 Cire Trudon Gabriel Classic Candle, £65 (fortnumandmason.com) 3 Deborah Lippmann Dance Music Set, £17 (harveynichols.com) 4 Fornasetti Profumi Malachite Scented Candle, £110 (selfridges.com) 5 Limited edition Shu Uemura’s Shupette for Harvey Nichols, £395 (harveynichols.com) 6 Un Matin d’Orage Eau de Parfum, £172, Annick Goutal, 20 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8LB, 020 7823 2176 (annickgoutal.com) 7 Diorific Golden Shock Gold Leaf Effect Top Coat, £21 (dior.com) 8 Anya Hindmarch Limited Edition Crème de la Mer Ultimate Box, £2,200 (harrods.com) 9 Rouge Dior 999 Lipstick, £23.40, Peter Jones, Sloane Square, SW1W 8EL (johnlewis.com) 10 Terrybly Densiliss Concealer By Terry, £44, Space.NK, 27 Duke of York Square, SW3 4LY, 020 7730 9841 (uk.spacenk.com) 11 Le Vernis nail colour, £18 (chanel.com)
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Residents’ Culture Exploring the minutiae of residents’ concerns and encounters
The Residents’ Association’s
December roundup
December roundup by Head of Social & Communications Sue Liberman
N
ovember 13 saw the first Winter Ball in Belgravia. It was a truly fun and memorable evening, thoroughly enjoyed by all. The evening kicked off with a Champagne reception generously provided by Lanson, with entertainment by jazz pianist Oksana Bukxari. This was followed by dinner where “Frank Sinatra” delighted guests by singing at their tables. The Singing Waiters gave an absolutely sensational performance too, singing opera and a selection of Tom Jones songs. Music and dancing continued with Paul Metcalf’s Rob Stewart Tribute Band whose showmanship and sheer sense of fun had everyone on the dance floor until the wee small hours. The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Commanding Officer and Household Cavalry Officers from Knightsbridge and Windsor all looked incredibly handsome in their uniforms.
December diary dates… December is the time to ‘make your list and check it twice’ not just for Santa, but to ensure you don’t miss out on all the fabulous Belgravia events….
beautiful streets, Santa and his reindeer will make Christmas come to life on Elizabeth Street and Pimlico Road with handmade craft stalls, choirs, brass bands and delicious festive food and drink. Elizabeth Street: 11am-5pm − market stalls and entertainment Pimlico Road: 11am-4pm − entertainment 7, 14, 21 December, 3pm-6pm – Cocktails at Maison Corthay London Mixology crafted by the cocktail experts from the following locations: • The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Sunday 7 December • The InterContinental Hotel, Sunday 14 December • The Berkeley, Sunday 21 December The venue for all of the three dates above is Maison Corthay London, 24A Motcomb Street, SW1X 8JU. RSVP to Maison.motcomb@corthay.com or 0207 235 5481
Until next month... belgraviaresidents.org.uk
Tuesday 2 December, 6.30pm – St Paul’s Carol Service The Foundation Carol Service in aid of The St Paul’s Knightsbridge Foundation will feature carols, music and celebrity readings. Advance tickets: adults £50, children £25; on the door tickets: adults £60, children £30. Purchase tickets in advance from spkfoundation.org, email: tickets@spkb.org or ring 020 7201 9994. St Paul’s Church, Wilton Place, SW1X 8SH Sunday 7 December – Belgravia Christmas Sunday Sparkling their way through two of Belgravia’s most
If you would like to help protect and/or shape the future of Belgravia, please join us by becoming a member. Simply go online and click on the appropriate membership box. In addition, if there’s anything you would like to let us know about, I can be contacted on sue@belgraviaresidents.org.uk
Belgravian
Moments
Briana Handte Lesesne reflects on her favourite time of year
I
n today’s high-tech, fast-paced world, it’s refreshing to see that come Christmas time many revert to traditions, feasting and festivities. One of my favourite past times during the winter season is ice skating as it always evokes childhood memories of white skates, frozen lakes and cold hands warmed up by mugs of hot chocolate sprinkled with marshmallows. Although Belgravia doesn’t have its own rink, I always make a beeline for Somerset House’s neoclassical courtyard. With its towering Christmas tree and stunning backdrop, twirling around on the ice here makes for an enchanting evening for young and old alike. When it comes to Christmas shopping, nothing beats a trip to Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly. Its famous Christmas window displays are based on the Frost Fairs that were held on the River Thames in the 17th and 18th centuries, when the river froze. Against a scenic background of icicles and snow-laden trees, packages of candied fruits and nuts, mince pies, Turkish delight, and Christmas puddings are artfully arranged. The delightful display is reminiscent of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Closer to home, the shop windows along Motcomb and Elizabeth Streets and Pimlico Road are beautifully decorated at this time of year. Lights are strung, fir trees stand to attention and our own Christmas street fairs and lighting ceremonies are a wonderful tradition. Belgravians are fortunate enough to not only be able to shop locally for their Christmas feast, but their festive fashion too. For holiday functions, cocktail parties and black tie events, I’ve spotted some exquisite couture dresses at ON Motcomb and Tomasz Starzewski on Ebury Street. Paired with an evening clutch and bejeweled shoes from Christian Louboutin’s Belgravia boutique, you’ll be the belle of the New Year’s Eve ball. Wishing you and your loved ones a festive and joyous Christmas season and a happy and healthy New Year!
Images above and left: A fun-filled evening at The Winter Ball
The views expressed on this page are not held by the Residents’ Journal. The page offers a platform for the voices of our local residents to discuss topics they feel relevant and important.
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The Belgravia
Directory
A compendium of the area’s key establishments
Estate Agents Ayrton Wylie 16 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7730 4628
Harrods Estates 82 Brompton Road 020 7225 6506
Knight Frank Sales 47 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7881 7722
Strutt & Parker 66 Sloane Street 020 7235 9959
Best Gapp & Cassells 81 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 9253
Henry & James 1 Motcomb Street 020 7235 8861
Marler & Marler 6 Sloane Street 020 7235 9641
W A Ellis 174 Brompton Road 020 7306 1600
Cluttons 84 Bourne Street 020 7730 0303
John D Wood 48 Elizabeth Street 020 7824 7900
Rokstone 5 Dorset Street 020 7580 2030
Wellbelove Quested 160 Ebury Street
Douglas Lyons & Lyons 33 Kinnerton Street 020 7235 7933
Knight Frank Lettings 82-83 Chester Square 020 7881 7730
Savills 139 Sloane Street 020 7730 0822
020 7881 0880
Food & Drink RESTAURANTS The Orange 37 Pimlico Road 020 7881 9844 theorange.co.uk
The Pantechnicon 10 Motcomb Street 020 7730 6074 thepantechnicon.com
The Thomas Cubitt 44 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 6060 thethomascubitt.co.uk
Motcombs 26 Motcomb Street 020 7235 6382 motcombs.co.uk
Uni 18a Ebury Street 020 7730 9267 restaurantuni.com
Speciality Shops BAKERIES
CONFECTIONERS
Baker & Spice 54-56 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 3033
Peggy Porschen 116 Ebury Street 020 7730 1316
BOOKS
JEWELLERS
Belgravia Books 59 Ebury Street 020 7259 9336 belgraviabooks.com
Elizabeth Gage 5 West Halkin Street 020 7823 0100 eg@elizabeth-gage.com elizabeth-gage.com
PERFUMERIES Floris 147 Ebury Street 020 7730 0304 florislondon.com
Annick Goutal 20 Motcomb Street 020 7245 0248
Pet accessories Mungo & Maud 79 Elizabeth Street 020 7022 1207
Health & Beauty GYM/ FITNESS The Light Centre Belgravia 9 Eccleston Street 020 7881 0728
HAIR SALON Yogoji (Yoga) 54a Ebury Street 020 7730 7473
The Daniel Galvin Jr. Salon 4a West Halkin Street 020 3416 3116
Herve Leger 29 Lowndes Street 020 7201 2590
Christian Louboutin 23 Motcomb Street 020 7245 6510
Fashion BOUTIQUES Philip Treacy 69 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 3992
Home ARCHITECTS/ DESIGN Weldon Walshe 20 Grosvenor Place 020 7235 4100
Services BANKS Duncan Lawrie Private Banking 1 Hobart Place 020 7245 1234 duncanlawrie.com
CHARITIES British Red Cross 85 Ebury Street 020 7730 2235
SOLICITORS Child & Child 14 Grosvenor Crescent 020 7235 8000 childandchild.co.uk
CLEANING Kudu Services Discreet, confidential cleaning services for offices and homes of distinction 27 Mortimer Street 020 8704 5988 kuduservices.co.uk
EDUCATION Cameron House School 4 The Vale 020 7352 4040 Eaton House School 3-5 Eaton Gate 020 7924 6000 Francis Holland School 39 Graham Terrace 020 7730 2971 Garden House School Turks Row 020 7730 1652 GEMS Hampshire School 15 Manresa Road 020 7352 7077 Glendower Preparatory School 86-87 Queen’s Gate 020 7370 1927 Knightsbridge School 67 Pont Street 020 7590 9000
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SPA Grace Belgravia 11c West Halkin Street 020 7235 8900 gracebelgravia.com
Nevena Couture (clients by appointment only)
Lowndes Street 020 3539 8738 nevena.co.uk
FURNITURE Ciancimino 85 Pimlico Place 020 7730 9959
Hemisphere 97 Lower Sloane Street 020 7730 9810
The Dining Chair Company 4 St Barnabas Street 020 7259 0422
Humphrey-Carrasco 43 Pimlico Road 020 7730 9911
EXCLUSIVE The Caledonian Club 9 Halkin Street 020 7235 5162 caledonianclub.com
FLORISTS Catherine Muller 53 Elizabeth Street 020 7259 0196 catherinemuller.com Judith Blacklock Flower School 4-5 Kinnerton Place South 020 7235 6235
IT SUPPORT Dashwood Solutions Contact Jonny Hyam for all your IT needs 07787 507 407
POST OFFICE Post Office 6 Eccleston Street 0845 722 3344
Psychotherapy Suzanne Thomas DHC MRes, Hypnotherapist / Psychotherapist 07770 378791 suzannethomas@ suzannethomas.co.uk suzannethomas.co.uk
TRAVEL Passepartout Homes Ltd 020 7513 2876 passepartout-homes.com info@passepartout-homes.com
027
Inside every great home is an exceptional Christmas waiting to happen.
Savills Sloane Street 139 Sloane Street SW1X 9AY 020 7730 0822 sloanestreet@savills.com
Savills Knightsbridge 188 Brompton Road SW3 1HQ 020 7581 5234 knightsbridge@savills.com
savills.co.uk
SA79458 Belgravia Residents Journal Xmas WPB.indd 1
11/11/2014 11:13
savills.co.uk
1
IMPRESSIVE FIRST FLOOR BELGRAVIA APARTMENT chesham place, sw1 Reception room ø kitchen ø master bedroom suite ø further bedroom ø shower room ø balcony ø loft storage space and storage room ø lift ø 100 sq m (1,074 sq ft) ø EPC=D
Guide £2.85 million Leasehold
Savills Sloane Street Tom Wilson twilson@savills.com
020 7730 0822
2
NEWLY REFURBISHED LATERAL FLAT IN PRESTIGIOUS GARDEN SQUARE chester square, sw1 Entrance hall ø reception room ø dining room ø kitchen ø master bedroom suite ø 2 further bedroom suites ø guest cloakroom ø secure parking ø lift ø porter ø 150 sq m (1,618 sq ft) ø EPC=B
Guide £4.95 million Leasehold
Savills Sloane Street Christian Warman cgwarman@savills.com
020 7730 0822
savills.co.uk
1 LATERAL FLAT WITH NINE WINDOWS OVERLOOKING THE SQUARE eaton square, sw1 Entrance hall ø double reception room ø media room ø study ø dining room ø kitchen/breakfast room ø master bedroom suite ø 3 further bedroom suites ø guest cloakroom ø lift ø caretaker ø Grade II* listed ø 422 sq m (4,546 sq ft) Guide £19.75 million Leasehold, approximately 69 years remaining
Ayrton Wylie
Savills Sloane Street
Simon Ayrton sayrton@ayrtonwylie.com
Richard Dalton rdalton@savills.com
020 7730 4628
020 7730 0822
savills.co.uk
LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY
1
BEAUTIFUL EATON SQUARE APARTMENT eaton square, sw1 3 bedrooms ø 2 reception rooms ø kitchen ø 2 bathrooms ø lift ø caretaker ø access to communal gardens ø 160 sq m (1,722 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=D
Savills Sloane Street Verity Comber vcomber@savills.com
020 7824 9005 Furnished £2,750 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* *£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.
26 OLD QUEEN
ST.
ST JAMES’S PARK. LONDON SW1
A newly refurbished Grade II listed Georgian property situated within the Birdcage Walk Conservation area with views over St James’s Park. An elegant and imposing home situated on one of London’s grandest streets with all principal rooms overlooking St James’s Park. THE ACCOMMODATION CONSISTS OF: 4 reception rooms; open plan kitchen; dining and family room; wine room; duplex master suite with study; 4/5 further bedroom suites; games/media room with butlers kitchen and en suite shower room; service kitchen and laundry room; terraces and a passenger lift to all floors. The landscaped garden provides direct access to Birdcage Walk and then onto St James’s Park. Approximately 692 sqm (7,454 sqft).
FREEHOLD
PRICE: ON APPLICATION
Contact Joint Sole Agents: Susannah Odgers: so@hathaways.co.uk Stuart Bailey: stuart.bailey@knightfrank.com
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KnightFrank.co.uk
Eaton Square, Belgravia SW1 An immaculate two bedroom penthouse
A newly refurbished two bedroom fourth floor apartment located on one of London's most prestigious garden squares. Master bedroom with en suite and dressing room, double bedroom with en suite, reception room, kitchen, dining room, cloakroom, lift, porter services. EPC rating D. Approximately 167 sq m ﴾1,802 sq ft﴿ Available unfurnished
Belgravia Lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings belgravialettings@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6006
Guide price: £3,650 per week ﴾165770﴿
All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges
117E Eaton Square rm
13/11/2014 16:36:36
CADOGAN GARDENS, CHELSEA, SW3
£2,985,000 SHARE OF FREEHOLD • NEWLY RENOVATED • TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS • RESIDENT CARETAKER • COMMUNAL GARDENS • COMFORT COOLING AND HEATING • BANG & OLUFSEN AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT • EPC E •
BELGRAVIA OFFICE 1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861 belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk
henryandjames.co.uk
CADOGAN PLACE, BELGRAVIA, SW1X
£785 PER WEEK • ONE BEDROOM • HIGH CEILINGS • ACCESS TO COMMUNAL GARDENS • TERRACE • UTILITY ROOM • HIGH CEILINGS • EPC C • PLUS ADMINISTRATION FEE £240 & REFERENCING £60 PER PERSON
BELGRAVIA OFFICE 1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861 belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk
henryandjames.co.uk
Would like to wish all of our clients A Merry Christmas
BELGRAVIA OFFICE
CHELSEA OFICE
1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861 belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk
2 Cale Street, London, SW3 3QU +44 (0)20 7581 5011 chelseaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk
henryandjames.co.uk
BASiL STREET SW3 S Limmaculately O A Npresented E S TthreeR bedroom E E TflatSin W 1 An this beautifully maintained mansion building in the heart of Knightsbridge. The building is floor ideally locatedapartment for Harrods the views shopsacross and restaurants of The the property area, and from Knightsbridge A stunning sixth penthouse withand rooftop Knightsbridge. hasmoments been thoughtfully designed and underground renovated and station. includes excellent storage. Furnished. 1,130 sq ft. Three Bedrooms • Two Double Bedrooms Two Bathrooms Bedroom
■
■• Single ■ ■
• Reception • Kitchen with Breakfast Bar
Reception Room Kitchen/Breakfast Room
£2000 per week + fees to Contract £3,300,000 Subject
Entrance • Two Hall/Dining Shower RoomsArea Loft Storage Area • Day Porter ■ Porter ■ Lift ■ ■
• Lift • EER - D
■ ■
1397 sq ft EE rating E
Share of Freehold
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Drawing of St Dunstan-in-the-West by SPAB Scholar Ptolomy Dean
Founded by William Morris, the SPAB protects the historic environment from decay, damage and demolition. It responds to threats to old buildings, trains building professionals, craftspeople, homeowners and volunteers and gives advice about maintenance and repairs. Since 1877 countless buildings have been saved for future generations.
Information about maintaining your home is available through events, courses, lectures, publications and telephone advice. To support our work why not join the SPAB? Members receive a quarterly magazine, our list of historic properties for sale and access to our regional activities.
www.spab.org.uk 020 7377 1644 A charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales. Company no: 5743962 Charity no: 1113753 37 Spital Square, London E1 6DY
estate agents, surveyors and property consultants 81 Elizabeth Street, Eaton Square, London SW1W 9PG tel: 020 7730 9253 Fax: 020 7730 8212 email: reception@bestgapp.co.uk
www.bestgapp.co.uk Over 100 years experience in Belgravia
Elizabeth Street, SW1 eaton mews south, sw1e Rebuilt to exacting standards three designed years ago,first thisand is second an exceptional south facing mews A beautifully refurbished and interior floor maisonette with two house spacious wellreception laid out room accommodation, double arranged bedrooms,over set infour the floors, heart ofwith Belgravia withand a large full of naturalroof terrace and off street light andgarage a bespoke kitchen all parking. set within close proximity of public transport links and local amenities of Sloane Square and Victoria . Fees apply.
Furnished/Unfurnished Freehold
ÂŁ950pw ÂŁ5,950,000
* Reception Hall * Reception Room with Balcony ** Reception room Room Kitchen/Breakfast ** Two double bedrooms Master Bedroom Suite ** Two Shower roomBedroom Suites Further ** Private Integralentrance Garage * Roof Terrace
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Lyall Mews, Belgravia SW1X
This discreet and impressive four bedroom, low built freehold house benefits from a home cinema room, gym, extensive wine cellar, large roof terrace, courtyard garden, an integral garage, offstreet parking and access to Belgrave Square gardens.
3,801 sq ft (353.12 sq m) Entrance Hall | Living room | Dining room | Kitchen | Three bedroom suites | Fourth bedroom | Wine room | Home cinema | Gym | Roof terrace | Courtyard garden | garage | Off street-parking
Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959
Charlie.willis@struttandparker.com charlie.willis@struttandparker.com
ÂŁ10,750,000 Freehold
Park Lodge, Knightsbridge SW7
A unique, low-built house with an exceptional lateral footprint, behind a 47 foot wide facade, enjoying south facing views over gardens between Harrods and Hyde Park
4,185 sq ft (388.8 sq m) Entrance hall | First floor drawing room | kitchen/dining room | Study/dining room | Four en suite bedrooms | WC | Swimming pool | Media room | Garage | EPC rating C
Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 charlie.willis@struttandparker.com
ÂŁ16,500,000 Freehold
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Eaton Square, Belgravia SW1W
A beautifully designed lateral penthouse apartment (circa 1,630 sq ft) with a dual aspect, vaulted ceilings and leafy views of the Eaton Square gardens.
1,630 sq ft (151.43 sq m) Entrance hall | Reception room | Kitchen | Two double bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Roof terrace | Lift
Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959
james.gilbert-green@struttandparker.com
ÂŁ5,995,000 Leasehold
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Where will we find your perfect buyer or tenant? As the exclusive UK affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate network, we can reach quality buyers and tenants in 45 countries via 950 offices and a website visited 130,000 times a month. There’s no better way to open your door to the world. 66 Sloane Street London SW1X 9SH Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7235 9959 knightsbridge@struttandparker.com struttandparker.com/christies
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