Fulham Resident's Journal January 2014 by Runwild Media Group

fulham Resident s Journal ’

JANUARY 2014 • issue 17

We highly value your feedback: fulham@residentsjournal.co.uk or 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

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Dear Resident, As we stride into a brand new year with all the best intentions, the Fulham Residents’ Journal team has thrown itself into experiencing as much as we possibly can locally. If you’ll pardon the reference to resolutions (no one really keeps them anyway), our goal for the New Year is to meet more interesting local residents, businesses and organisations. Please help us along with this task, emailing your thoughts, feature ideas, news and general musings to fulham@residentsjournal.co.uk. To kick-start January, Lauren Romano has tasked herself with exploring new hobbies to occupy her time (p. 18) as well as meeting the graceful Karen Hardy of Strictly Come Dancing fame in her studios in SW6 (p. 7). As soon as it was confirmed, I spoke to Chris Medland of One-world design, the architect for the new Diamond Jubilee footbridge – the first to be built in more than a decade – which will link Chelsea Harbour with Battersea; read more on page 24.

Image / Putney Bridge at sunset by Ricky Leaver (rickyleaver.com)

Managing Editor Katie Randall

Managing Director Eren Ellwood

Publishing Director Giles Ellwood

Assistant Editor Lauren Romano

General Manager Fiona Fenwick

Associate Publisher Sophie Roberts

Senior Designer Lisa Wade

Client Relationship Director Felicity Morgan-Harvey

Editorial Assistant Jennifer Mason Editorial Intern Maisy Molloy Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood

Production Hugo Wheatley Alex Powell Oscar Viney Members of the Professional Publishers Association

Communications Director Loren Penney

FULHAM Residents’ Journal

LOCAL NEWS Keep your finger on the pulse with our round-up of local news

Ride,

Charlie Ride

hile most of us emptied our pockets of coppers to the awaiting Philippines typhoon appeal buckets at tube stations across town last month, 11year old Charlie Simpson went one step further. The cycling fan took part in a 40km sponsored bike ride in South Park last month to raise money for the children affected by Typhoon Haiyan. So far Charlie’s hard work and determination has raised more than £4,570 for the cause, with supporters and wellwishers flocking to his JustGiving page following the challenge, which took the local youngster under four hours to complete, flanked by his dad and friend Sophia. Writing on his blog page on the UNICEF website, Charlie said: ‘UNICEF sends food, water and tents to help these children. They also help children to find their family if they got separated from them in the confusion of the storm. Many of these children have nothing left. They need to start their lives again. They are normal children, just like children here. A couple of weeks ago they were heading to school, and maybe

Images / © UNICEF UK/2013/Mikael Buck

moaning about their homework just like I do with my friends. Today, they are struggling just to survive. ‘When I was seven, I learnt a really important lesson. I learnt that even if you’re small, you can make a big difference. I cycled five miles for the survivors of the Haiti earthquake. It didn’t seem like much, but more and more people heard about it and after a while I raised more than £260,000. I may not raise as much money this time round, but I know that it is worth trying because every single penny counts. And when you put lots of pennies together, they can add up to a huge amount of money that can have a very big impact.’ Charlie got to enlist the help of UNICEF Ambassador, Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, who gave him a few words of encouragement at a special dress rehearsal. Thankfully, a bit of the Olympic gold dust appears to have rubbed off. Despite being nervous on the run up to the cycle (‘I’ve never cycled that far before and as my friends know I’m probably more used to exercising my fingers and thumbs playing computer games rather than pedalling endlessly!’) the day went off without a hitch. Well done Charlie! Donations can still be made via Charlie’s JustGiving page: justgiving.com/ CharlieSimpson-Typhoon

Dolphins having a whale of a time A pod of dolphins swimming down the River Thames is not a sight you are likely to see every day, so thought the Marine Policing Unit, an arm of the Metropolitan Police. How wrong they were. Last month the team on the Marine 2 boat caught sight of five large sea mammals near Tower Bridge, heading up the river towards south Fulham. It is not clear why the dolphins were in the area, but it has been suggested that they might have been seeking shelter from the storm ravaging the North Sea; @MPSonthewater humorously tweeted: ‘We are not sure if they are here by accident or whether they swam here on porpoise.’

Image co

urtesy of

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@MPSon thewater

Toast of the town

Ever green

Looking for a new local haunt? The Imperial Arms on the King’s Road underwent something of a transformation last month, re-launching simply as The Imperial. This pared back new moniker suits the Victorian pub’s sleek reinvention. Early risers can tuck into delicious breakfasts of soft boiled duck eggs and truffle soldiers with bacon butter (chef Tom Hope deserves a medal for coming up with that) from 8am Monday to Friday and 9am on Saturdays. Patrons can brighten up dreary winter nights too with dishes such as perfectly cooked ribeye steak and venison loin with spiced red cabbage, served in the 50-seater restaurant in full view of the open-plan kitchen. 577 King’s Road, SW6 2EH, 020 7736 6081 (the-imperial.co.uk)

Last year, 60 tonnes of local Christmas trees were successfully recycled. The same rules apply this year: leave your real Christmas tree in front of your property ready for collection by midday on your normal weekday collection between Thursday 2 January and Wednesday 15 January. Designated Christmas tree collection points can also be found at Fulham Palace Road Cemetery (opposite Queensmill Road), New King’s Road (on edge of Eel Brook Common) and Normand Park.

Not so taxing times Hammersmith & Fulham Council has announced that it intends to cut council tax bills by three per cent in April. The proposed reduction would mean that council tax in the borough will have fallen by 20 per cent over the last eight years. The last time it was lower was in 1999, when the average charge was £706 and Britney Spears was top of the charts. All we need is a re-release of Hit me Baby One More Time for the blast from the past to be complete.

Good deed on the go New to the neighbourhood While spring might traditionally be the time to de-clutter, January is the month to transform and begin the year as you mean to go on. What better way to transform your interiors (which always look a bit dreary after the tinsel has been returned to the loft once more) than with a visit to the new flagship showroom of furniture purveyors Titchmarsh & Goodwin. The brand’s traditional craftsmanship dates back to the 18th century and is used to beautiful effect to create modern, classic pieces. The three floor furniture emporium also features a unique in-house design studio for those looking to enlist the help of the design and architectural experts. Titchmarsh & Goodwin are offering Fulham Residents’ Journal readers 25 per cent off the exclusive English Oak range. Quote ‘Fulham Residents’ Journal’ in store to take advantage of this reduction. 555 Kings Road, SW6 2EB (titchmarsh-goodwin.com) -5-

As January’s Siberian weather sinks in, residents are encouraged to use the StreetLink app to alert the council about rough sleepers bedding down for the night on Fulham’s streets. By using the app, residents can help connect homeless people to local services. Access to practical support has an effective track record; the StreetLink app, together with the phone line and website, has already helped 4,000 homeless people off the streets. Help the charity keep up the encouraging work and download the app today. (streetlink.org.uk)

FULHAM Residents’ Journal

pet’s corner It’s a dog’s world in SW6

And they call it puppy love… Doggy Day Care at Bishops Bark isn’t just for older dogs; pups can also socialise in the outdoor play area. The perfect solution if you need to pop out for a few hours or even all day. One hour walking service is also available. Visit bishopsbark.com for further details

PAMPERED POOCHES SLEEP LIKE A dog For the long, cold nights, batten down the hatches for your hound with a plush new bed. The faux fur bolster beds from OKA are invitingly soft and the new collection of velvet backed faux throws are great for snuggles by the fire. 251 New King’s Road, SW6 4RB, 020 7751 9874 (okadirect.com)

Take a walk on the wild side You might have spied dog walking team Urban Mutt rounding up its pack at Bishops Park and Hurlingham Park. Local Fulham walks last for approximately one hour and cost from £15. Founders Julie and Barry Karacostas (aka The Dog Jogger) develop a real affinity with all the dogs they look after, offering physical and mental stimulation and discipline. The maximum six dogs to a pack policy ensures that each pooch receives as much attention as they deserve. Urban Mutt also offers a dog hotel from £35 per night. Visit urbanmutts.co.uk for more information. -6-

With grooming, day care and dog walking all on the menu, Bishops Bark is a dog owner’s best friend. The pampering regime offered by the hydrobath is no ordinary wash and go; combining a deep clean with a hydrotherapy massage, it will leave your dogs squeaky clean and pampered from head to paw. The full spa also includes a shampoo and condition with organic treatment products, a brush out, fluff dry, pad tidy and foot trim, nail clipping and teeth brushing. There is also an express and rapido option for dogs pressed for time. 353 Fulham Palace Road, SW6 6TB 020 7371 9196 (bishopsbark.com)

Strictly business Karen Hardy Studios celebrated turning five with a celebrity-studded bash at its Imperial Wharf home last month. Lauren Romano meets the woman herself to talk success, Strictly Come Dancing and teaching two left feet to foxtrot

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FULHAM Residents’ Journal

aren Hardy, former United Kingdom, International, World Masters and British National Champion of Latin American Dance, not to mention Strictly Come Dancing series four champion, knows her way around the dance floor. She collects trophies (and air miles) like other people collect knocks, bumps and brief encounters with strangers’ armpits on the average tube commute. Although, these days, you’re more likely to catch her teaching the rhythm foxtrot to the movers and shakers of Fulham and beyond on the £30,000 sprung dance floor which takes pride of place in her own luxury studio: Karen Hardy Studios. But the years of jet-setting, critical acclaim and success have done little to numb Karen’s sense of humility; she’s not a been-there, done-that, got the trophy (for the umpteenth time) kind of person, I learn from the off. The woman sitting in front of me is dumbfounded, gobsmacked even, by the studio’s impending fifth birthday. ‘Five years,’ she reflects with a pause. ‘I just can’t believe it!’ counting off five digits. ‘High five!’ She steamrollers into our interview in her pleasantly raspy register, meeting my own congratulations with good-natured gratitude. Naturally, a great deal of legwork has gone into making the last five years a resounding hit. Having danced professionally since the age of 16, Karen’s

answer was to open a dance studio, and the couple tentatively drew up a two-year business plan. ‘One day I was on the set of Strictly Come Dancing [Karen danced on the show from 2005-2008, winning with cricketer Mark Ramprakash in 2006] when Gloria Hunniford came up to me and asked if I could recommend anywhere that her friends could go dancing. I stood there and I literally froze; I ran through a mental ticklist of church halls and school gyms but I couldn’t think of anywhere suitable. ‘I went home that night to my husband and said, “Right, pull out that business plan, we are going to build the first ever dance studio equivalent to a five-star hotel,” because I believed that for all the people I meet – from the CEOs of companies to celebrities and yummy mummies – there wasn’t anything out there for them,’ she recalls with mounting enthusiasm, reliving her chain of thought as animatedly as though it happened yesterday. And as plans for a luxury dance studio, complete with Cristal Champagne on ice at the bar, beautiful seating and an exemplar sound system, started to materialise in Karen’s mind’s eye, first thing was

retirement from competing was not her final curtain call and it wasn’t long before her itchy feet were chasing another dream, as she reminisces. ‘I got to number one in the world for Latin American dancing – that meant I was travelling all over the world, competing and coaching dancers in foreign countries to win the same titles.’ When the plane started to become a second home, Karen sat down with her husband and business partner Conrad (a former dance champion and friend of Brendan Cole of Strictly fame)to discuss the possibilities of ‘a business that would bring me home,’ as she puts it. The obvious

first: where to build this vision. ‘It was 2005 and I was dancing with BBC presenter Bill Turnbull and we were in a cab being driven back from the BBC Studios,’ Karen smiles. ‘They were building Westfield at the time and I remember the traffic -8-

Karen Hardy with her husband Conrad Murray

Whether it’s for 20 minutes, an hour or three hours, you can forget about all the pressures of the outside world, whether you work in the City or are a housewife with children

Award-winners: Karen and her dance partner are Undefeated World Masters Champions

Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe from Strictly Come Dancing perform at the birthday celebrations

A trip down memory lane: snaps from Karen Hardy’s dancing career

Karen, aged 10, admires her medals

was diverted as a result. We drove around all these little back roads and eventually we popped out at Imperial Wharf. “Stop the car,” I shouted at the driver. “I need the number in the window of that development!” ‘It was a brand spanking new, vibrant waterfront location. I went home to my husband and we decided to do everything in our power to convince the developers to let us have the dance studios there. We had been looking for the right location for two years and had been pooh-poohed by estate agents left, right and centre. I remember ringing the developers St George and the voice coming down the receiver saying: “I actually quite like the sound of this for our residents”. I nearly dropped the phone!’ Five years on, Karen Hardy Studios has fitted into the neighbourhood rather nicely, rolling out a touch of rhythm-correction and putting a spring in the step of residents and a worldwide community of toe-tappers. ‘We have a couple of people who fly in from America to have their lessons each month,’ Karen divulges. The eclectic membership

the studio boasts sees seasonal travellers dropping in to top up their dance moves while in the UK for a few months of the year. It is not unheard of for businessmen and women to combine their transatlantic meetings with a dance lesson either. ‘We had a wedding client who flew in from Hollywood. I walked in on their lesson and they were practising their moves to Rod Stewart. “I love that song – your wedding dance is going to be amazing!” I chirped. “Oh darling, Rod’s playing live at our wedding,” came the reply.’ From the outlandish high-flyers touching down from tinseltown to the locals who live round the corner and habitually turn up for their weekly coaching, Karen is proud of the ‘incredible’ membership she has built up. The rhythmically challenged will be glad to hear that Karen has also designed the studio extensively for people with two left feet. For someone with about as much natural rhythm as a can-canning centipede, this is welcome, nerve-assuaging news indeed. ‘We have created this wonderful private club for so many dancers with two left feet!’ Karen -9-

FULHAM Residents’ Journal

Smile for the camera: Karen with dance partner Simon Cruwys at the UK Championships, Bournemouth

jokes. Whether it takes two or 22 lessons, Karen and her team can get everyone to dance. ‘That I guarantee,’ she smiles. ‘Everyone’s learning curve will be unique, however. We make it an experience. ‘What I recognise is that everybody’s journey on the dance floor, or their reasons to dance, are completely different. It could be that someone just wants to learn a couple of steps for their daughter’s wedding, or that they want to lose weight and take on a full health challenge. So, if you have a dance floor of 60 people, everyone with a completely different reason to be there, then it’s very hard to fix goals. The first thing we do is recognise exactly what each individual person’s reasons are, and then set a goal. That’s why we have lots of different packages. Everything is bespoke here and you work exclusively with a dance teacher, so as on Strictly Come Dancing, you don’t share your experience with other

people; it’s you and the dance teacher, therefore the learning curve is very rapid,’ Karen explains. There are four personalised teaching programmes to choose from: beginners, intermediate/advanced, wedding dance lessons and children’s classes, teaching everything from waltz to foxtrot, tango to cha cha cha and salsa. Private dance tuition, tailored to each individual to develop at their own pace, snail-like or otherwise, is complemented with technical group lessons to help enhance style, with topic-of-the-week focuses that cover everything from poise to footwork. The Saturday kids’ academy (Karen Hardy Academy) is going from strength to strength, having recently returned from its first major dancing competition in Blackpool with several finalists and even a winner. The studio also offers lessons for men. ‘Put a man in a big class environment and they absolutely freak out, so we emphasise that they can learn exclusively – and that there is a licensed bar on site,’ Karen laughs. The studio is keen to blast the misconception that ballroom dancing is solely for the blue-rinse brigade on a day out by the seaside and that it can, in fact, appeal to anyone from five to 105-years-old. ‘Our core business is actually made up of members from the 38-42 years-old bracket, which is enlightening,’ Karen informs me.

What I recognise is that everybody’s journey on the dance floor, or their reasons to dance, are completely different From the teenager who wants to look cool at their prom to the debutantes from The Russian Ball (which came to the UK, and the Royal Albert Hall for the first time last December), Karen Hardy Studios has a diverse outreach and caters for dancers of all ages and walks of life; whoever comes through its doors. Karen is no namesake purely to draw in would-be dancers who recognise her as ‘that one off Strictly.’ She realised early on that when you own a dance studio you celebrate the highs and lows with your members. ‘We opened our business as the last government announced that the country was going into recession. A year later, one of our members turned up at - 10 -

our door in tears. She was the head of a grow and our children come back winning very large company and had just come out titles. But the greatest thing of all is simply of the meeting where she had been made that for a small business, launched during a redundant. What I took away from that recession, to make it to its fifth anniversary situation is that she hadn’t gone straight is quite special indeed.’ home from that meeting to tell her family, The landmark occasion was celebrated in she came to the studio to escape for a truly glamorous style, with a glitzy string of while and gather her thoughts. That high-profile guests, such as Zoe Ball, Gloria episode really endorsed what we have Hunniford and athlete Jade Johnson joining tried to achieve with the studio; making Karen and her husband on the red carpet it a place to escape from the outside rolled out at the studios last month. world through dance. Whether it’s for ‘My mum put me into dance classes at 20 minutes, an hour or three hours, you five. When I was 16, I went to a careers can forget about all the pressures of the officers meeting,’ Karen recalls. ‘I can outside world, whether you work in the picture the room, I remember where I City or are a housewife with children.’ was sitting and the advisor said to me, “So, Reckless or foolhardy though it may Karen, what are you going to do?” And I seem to open a business in the midst of an replied, “Well, I’m going to be a dancer.” I economic slump, Karen’s determination has remember him laughing and telling me that paid off. ‘I have gone from winning world there wasn’t a career in ballroom dancing so titles to being a coach and choreographer I should enjoy my hobby while it lasted. all over the world, to a business owner. ‘All these years later when I think about ‘All the trials and tribulations have most where I am now: I’ve travelled the world probably doubled my stress levels but the and performed in places like the Kremlin rewards and enjoyment are equal to seeing in Moscow; I’ve met Prince Charles and any of my couples stand on the rostrum and represented my country; I’m an award win a world title. Watching a couple head winner for services to dance and now I out onto the dance floor for their wedding own my own business. Wow, I’m one of the dance, or a child celebrate their birthday at luckiest people ever! I fell head over heels in the studio, is just as rewarding. love with dancing, I remember winning my ‘People ask me what success is. I think first medal. I got addicted to running home when you run a business you keep your head and saying, “Mum, Mum look at my medal!” down and look for rewards, testimonials and ‘It’s a shame I don’t remember that anything that will acknowledge what you career advisor’s name,’ she giggles; she’s are doing. We won “highly commended” as having the last laugh now. voted by the public in the Hammersmith & 10 The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf, SW6 2UB Fulham Brilliant Business Awards last month 0845 567 1155 (karenhardystudios.com) – and that really was brilliant.’ The year ahead looks set to be just as fast-paced; a refurbishment will elevate the studios to a higher echelon of luxury, and the team has launched into the corporate world with an office-dancelesson-cum-team-buildingexercise, entitled ‘Bonding through Ballroom’. Picture this: ‘The CEO and the receptionist doing the cha cha cha, watched by the human resources department… hugely hysterical,’ Karen chuckles. ‘There have been many proud moments,’ Karen reflects. ‘From emailing my team this morning to congratulate them, Karen receives her High to watching our membership ly Commended Award Mayor Cllr from Frances Stainton

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The tweed appeal What do Matt Smith, Dominic West and Simon Le Bon have in common? They all have a penchant for David Saxby vintage wear, as David Brough discovers

avid Saxby’s vintage clothes shop Old Hat caters to a mixed bunch. Hollywood, television, pop and West End stars, as well as a local clientele, some of whom he has known since he opened 25 years ago, all drop by to get their hands on sporting tweeds and formal wear sold at his stuffedto-the-rafters premises on Fulham High Street, along with all manner of vintage wear, from dinner jackets to shoes.

I met some of my regulars as 14-year-old schoolboys more than two decades ago ‘You could walk down the street 100 years ago wearing my clothes, and nobody would bat an eyelid,’ David tells me among the rows of suits and waistcoats and towers of flat caps. Some 1,500 dinner jackets from the 1950s and 1960s and at least 350 Scottish tweeds, all of the highest quality, are packed into the small shop, with a selection of vintage bespoke G.J. Cleverley shoes to boot. Celebrities and local folk alike are spearheading a tweed revival. With the aforementioned Matt Smith of Doctor Who fame, actor Dominic West, Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran, and motor specialist Edd China leading the way, there are also the theatre, opera and film stylists who commission David to tailor vintage wear for productions. He reveals his latest commission was for a new Warner Brothers movie currently in development. David’s core business, however, is serving the requirements of Fulham residents with top quality apparel for formal occasions.

‘My main business is ensuring that Fulham and Chelsea people go to weddings dressed better than anywhere else in the world,’ he says. To that end, David offers made-tomeasure wool waistcoats of the quality that one would expect from Savile Row, but at a fraction of the price, retailing at £195. Handily, David has a manufacturing facility in Ipswich, which makes said made-to-measure suits, keeping retail prices at a third of what discerning customers might expect to pay over at the spiritual home of tailoring. A two-piece made-to-measure suit is available from £720 and takes three to four weeks to make. And David doesn’t just suit and boot people on home shores, his two outlets in Japan keep his Asian clientele kitted out in traditional British style too. David takes pride in the personal relationships he has built up with his customers; from the young British army officers (‘they dress well and conservatively. They know how to wear clothes – and they look good in them,’ he tells me) to those who first walked into his shop with their parents as schoolboys more than two decades ago. ‘I met some of my regulars as 14-year-old schoolboys, and now they’re being dressed for their second weddings!’ he laughs, adding with warmth, ‘My customers are people I’d like to have around my dinner table.’ David Saxby Sporting Tweed & Formal Wear: 60-62 Fulham High Street, SW6 3LQ, 020 7610 6558 (davidsaxby.co.uk)

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FULHAM Residents’ Journal

THE CALENDAR Diary dates for residents looking for the best events in town

LONDON 4-12 January

15-19 January

18 January – 10 February

DON’T MISS THE BOAT

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Europe’s first, and now London’s biggest boat show, returns to the ExCel this month, bringing with it more than 500 exhibitors showcasing the best in watercraft innovations and equipment. Now in its 60th year, visitors are free to pick the brains of exhibitors in person for their expert advice, meet boating heroes, or simply chat to likeminded individuals with a passion for all things water-borne. There is something for everyone, whether you’re an experienced skipper or are yet to find your sea legs.

The annual art fair that showcases more than 120 carefully selected galleries is back. And it’s bigger and better than before. Some of the biggest movers and shakers in the worlds of contemporary and modern British art will all be present and correct at 2014’s instalment of the London Art Fair, bringing with them a colourful and eclectic array of works. This year, Tokyo-based gallery Whitestone will also be exhibiting, presenting GUTAI, a 1950s Japanese avant-garde artist group.

BALLET’S GREATEST LOVE STORY

Tickets £6-£20. 10am-7pm ExCel, 1 Western Gateway Royal Victoria Dock E16 1XL (londonboatshow.com)

Tickets from £17-£35 (advanced booking available) Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, N1 0QH, 0844 8480 135 (londonartfair.co.uk)

If a culture kick is top of your New Year’s resolution list then you can’t go wrong with Giselle. As romantic ballets go, it is one of the all-time greats (think betrayal and a love that transcends even death). The mesmerising staging transports the audience from the hustle and bustle of a colourful grape harvest in a small village in the heart of the Rhineland, to a sombre, moonlit forest. The choreography takes a hauntingly beautiful turn as the ballet reaches its breathtaking denouement, so prepare to be captivated to the very end. Tickets £5-£95, 2pm, Royal Opera House Bow Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DD 020 7304 4000 (roh.org.uk)

BALLET’S GREATEST LOVE STORY

DON’T MISS THE BOAT London Art Fair 2012 at Business Design Centre Islington. Image/ James Champion

Lauren Cuthbertson in Giselle © Johan Persson ROH

THE NExT CHAPTER

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Catherine Muller Flower School and Flower Boutique is now open on 53 Elizabeth Street and is ready to welcome you. For more information on courses, events, subscriptions and deliveries please call us on +44 (0) 20 72 59 01 96 or visit catherinemuller.com

Naturally

Balanced

Katie Randall meets the real-life superwomen who are bringing our skin back into balance

A Image / CEW award winners 2013 Sian, Clare, Lisa Snowdon and Rebecca

ll you need in life for flawless skin and a healthy, gamine glow are two men’s hairbrushes, natural beauty products and a smile; this is beauty à la Balance Me. It is, quite frankly, a beauty revelation that you don’t need to spend hundreds of pounds accumulating a whole arsenal of synthetic lotions and potions to keep your skin in tiptop condition. A few natural products and a handful of clever techniques can, in fact,

work wonders. Much like John Lennon, who crooned All you Need is Love, the founders of results-driven skincare brand Balance Me promote the return to natural products which feature no synthetic nasties. I want to be inducted into the brotherhood of natural beauty and so I am probing siblings Rebecca and Clare Hopkins and their business partner Sian Jones for the insider tricks and advice you won’t find elsewhere. We are meeting in their Southwark-based head office, a central meeting point for the three women who all live in different corners of London (Rebecca is Claphambased, Sian lives in Greenwich and Clare resides in Stoke Newington). Judging by the radiant complexions of Sian and Clare, who are both sitting opposite me with gleeful smiles, these mothers are on to something. So my first line of questioning is directed towards the advice they have gathered over the years. ‘You used to have a mantra, didn’t you?’ Sian jests and looks over at Clare. ‘Oh yes, that’s true,’ comes her laughing - 15 -

FULHAM Residents’ Journal

response. ‘When I was 16-years-old, I used to say that you should smile all the time, because it releases happy chemicals. The boys at school used to tease me for it but it did make people laugh!’ says Clare. Sian and I agree; a flash of your pearly whites does endear you to people. ‘I think I was old before my time,’ jokes Clare. So, smiling: check. Happy chemicals: check. What else is important, I wonder? Clare explains another of her tips that has stuck with her through adolescence is dry body-brushing. ‘I am 40 now [I noticeably widen my eyes in disbelief] but I remember dry body-brushing in the shower at 16. I just use two men’s hairbrushes and it literally takes minutes. Just brush in small circles up the legs and thighs and then do a little bit softly on your tummy. It helps to improve your circulation and is great for shifting

The boys at school used to tease me for it but it did make people laugh! cellulite.’ Sian sighs in response: ‘Clare is slightly masochistic though, you can use a softer normal brush or a sisal mitt!’ Sian’s tips are equally as fascinating, training first in retail before moving into aromatherapy, this skincare expert believes in the power of a precise form of facial massage to keep the years at bay. ‘I think it is important to note that Balance Me is not about serious anti-ageing with really strong creams and freezing your face in place or shaving off 30 years. We prefer natural methods and ingredients to keep skin healthy, glowing and looking its best,’ she explains. ‘I think the biggest tip that I can give was actually passed on to me by my massage therapy tutor. She taught me about the power of facial rejuvenation through massage. It’s like a mini work-out for the face and you get a flush of nutrients

to the surface of the skin and lots of oxygen. All of your skin cells benefit.’ Tips aside, it has taken more than just beauty nous to rise up through the saturated beauty market. Rebecca and Clare founded Balance Me in 2005 after they left their respective PR and business careers behind and retrained in the holistic field in their quest for a better work-life balance. ‘My background is consultancy and stockbroking,’ Clare explains. ‘Rebecca’s is beauty PR, she used to work for L’Oréal. I gave it all up to go travelling and, while I was away, I really got into yoga and trained to be a teacher. I came back to London and we decided to set up a business. At this point, Rebecca had retrained as a reflexologist.’ The pair teamed up, using their business backgrounds to form an events company for two-and-a-half years. ‘We also made natural beauty products in our kitchens as gifts to give out at the events,’ Clare enthuses. ‘I’d make them and test them on myself.’ Thus a brand was born. Offering their massages and pedicures for events at Harvey Nichols and Topshop back in the days when you couldn’t just pop onto the high street for a massage, Balance Me started to carve its path. The first step to launching its own products came via a nudge from Topshop, says Clare. ‘After one of our events, I got a call from the retailer asking to buy our foot polishes for its shoe launch – they wanted 200! At the time we were still making them in our kitchen.’ Within a year, Balance Me products were being sold throughout the UK and Sian Jones had joined, bringing her wealth of retail and aromatherapy experience to the brand. Balance Me challenged the conventional method of selling beauty products in department stores, stocking its skincare and body creams in unconventional beauty stockists such as Topshop, Waitrose, Ocado and Whole Foods, as well the conventional John Lewis, Harvey Nichols and Beales.

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The brand philosophy that has so appealed to consumers, both young and old, is to bring skin back into balance, and to do so the trio regularly reach out to their customers to glean feedback and ascertain their needs, whether they are packaging or formulation-related. ‘One of the main selling points for our products is that you can use them on skin of all ages. I use the Rose Body Balm and the Rose Body Wash on my children and I used them both during my pregnancies,’ Clare enthuses. Results speak volumes and I am interested to learn just how these pure ingredients weigh up in the boxing ring against their chemical cousins. Sian steps in to deliver the first punch. ‘Balance Me uses cutting-edge, high-tech natural formulations and chemistry to create sophisticated textures and awardwinning results at affordable prices. We use the finest ingredients and spend time and effort sourcing the very highest grade oils and raw materials. ‘Hyaluronic acid, one of our hero ingredients, binds about a thousand times its weight in water, so is great for plumping the skin and delivering a hit of moisture. The fine grade of the acid we use means that the particles are smaller and thus it can be absorbed into the skin more easily.’

Clare adds that: ‘Traditionally, antiageing was an area that natural brands couldn’t necessarily compete with, but that really isn’t the case any more. Our Skin Saviours Facial Expression Filler, Anti-Ageing Skin Serum and BB cream are all high-tech, innovative products with which you can plump, tighten and lift your skin effectively, and very few people have reactions to them. This is not always the case with synthetic chemical products.’ Is that a bell I can hear? And the winners are… Balance Me. Not content with just its own affirmations, Balance Me has won more than 25 awards since its launch eight years ago, including a coveted Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) UK’s Member Achiever Award, and this is only the beginning of the brand’s journey. I wonder what might be next on the cards for the year ahead? A Balance Me spa in London, serving up Sian’s specialised facial massages, the air scented with the delicate aromas of the brand’s products? Sian and Rebecca aren’t giving anything away but there is a twinkle in their eyes. ‘One day,’ they smile together. n Balance Me products are available locally at Waitrose on North End Road and online at balanceme.co.uk

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FULHAM Residents’ Journal

Turn

over a new leaf

It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new year… are you feeling good? The Fulham Residents’ Journal shares some realistic, local ‘resolutions’ for all those who would rather not run a marathon in 2014

When it comes to what you eat, nothing beats gracing your table with home grown vegetables. Whether you have an expansive patch or merely a window box, you can still grow greens. Fulham Palace Garden Centre has all the seeds and bulbs you could need, as well as knowledgeable staff brimming with tips on how to prepare your patch of soil for planting the earliest of crops. For those in it for the long-haul, apply to be on the waiting list for one of the 406 plots at the Fulham Palace Meadows Allotment Association by downloading an application form from the website. Fulham Palace Garden Centre: Bishops Avenue, SW6 6EE, 020 7736 2640 (princes-trust.org/uk) Fulham Palace Meadows Allotment Association, Bishops Avenue, SW6 6EA 020 7731 6055 (fpmaa.com)

Exercise outside

Learn to sew

If your relationship with a needle and thread begins and ends with sewing on the odd misplaced button, brushing up on your stitching skills might seam like a good idea (sorry, we couldn’t resist). A short ten minute walk from Fulham Broadway station, Saturday Sewing Session offers relaxed beginner’s sewing classes on evenings and weekends. Learn how to make quilted tea cosies, cushion covers and dresses that will give your nana’s needlework a run for her money. There are also technical classes on how to alter clothing so you can make do and mend if pennies are scarce this month. You can even learn to make a draughtexcluding sausage dog; every household should have one.

The benefits of exercising outdoors have long been touted, so don’t let the dreary January weather give you cold feet. Fresh air does wonders for beating the blues in a way that pounding the treadmill never could. Boasting both parks and a riverside location, Fulham is one of the most compatible postcodes for outdoor fitness. Join the free weekly 5km parkrun at Fulham Palace, or get whipped into shape with a whole body workout at the Fulham Boot Camp on Eel Brook Common. Parkrun: Saturdays at 9am; register online at: parkrun.org.uk/fulhampalace Fulham Boot Camp: First workout free; £38 per month unlimited membership; various classes throughout the week (swfitnessgroup.co.uk)

75-81 Burnaby Street, SW10 0NS 020 7352 9020 (saturdaysewingsession.co.uk) - 18 -

Image courtesy of Fulham Palace Meadows Allotment

Grow your own vegetables

Take better photographs

Local photographer Ricky Leaver reveals his five steps to taking beautiful pictures of the capital

iii

Putney Bridge at sunset

Deer in Richmond Park

The Houses of Parliament shrouded in fog

Dancer at Notting Hill Carnival

Covent Garden Piazza

Complementary colours Colours that are found on the opposite side of the spectrum naturally catch the eye; together they can make a terrific picture. So combine reds and greens, blues and oranges, yellows and purples.

Shapes and silhouettes London is overflowing with a never-ending combination of inspiring shapes, silhouettes, shadows and textures. Find these, and you are halfway to capturing a powerful and striking image.

Join a book club

Fed up of finishing a book and then having nobody to discuss it with? Join the book club at Nomad Books and dissect the highs, lows and so-sos of the latest page-turners to your heart’s content. The modern bookclub meets on the first Monday of every month at 7.30pm and is free to attend. The store also hosts a bi-monthly classic bookclub and a monthly young readers’ bookclub. Pop by to see what is on the literary horizon for January and beyond.

No such thing as bad weather The city is transformed when hit by snow, frost, mist or rain; it becomes a different place. So when the weatherman delivers bad news, grab your camera and take that unique shot that no one else will get.

Explore and experiment The capital is such a diverse place that you can take any picture you can think of. Get out there, explore the wonderful city and find a different angle. Don’t be afraid to experiment – you’ll often be amazed with the results.

Keep it simple Simple, clear pictures of London often make the strongest images. Avoid clutter, it only distracts. Less is definitely more. All images by Ricky Leaver. To explore more of Ricky’s work, visit londonstillsphotoart.com or rickyleaver.com

Paint your own crockery

A creative outlet can be an eye-opener, but whether that involves getting acquainted with Derek’s octogenarian gluteus maximus at life drawing classes, is other matter. Thankfully, there is an alternative option to be found at the Pottery Café, where Emma Bridgewater has moulded all manner of crocks ready for budding artistes to add their stamp to. The party room can accommodate up to 18 for decorating parties, hen night soirées and children’s birthdays. Groups can paint the night away on Thursday evenings too, without a bottom in sight. 735 Fulham Road, SW6 5UL, 020 7736 2157 (pottery-cafe.com)

781 Fulham Road, SW6 5HA 020 7736 4000 (nomadbooks.co.uk)

Did you know?

Pottery and Fulham go hand in hand. Back in 1671, John Dwight was granted a patent to establish The Fulham Pottery, which went on to become the first commercially successful stoneware pottery in England. The Bottle Kiln, standing in all its mottled brick glory on Burlington Road, is the only shard that remains of SW6’s clay heyday. - 19 -

FULHAM Residents’ Journal

Shun the coffee chains

When it comes to grabbing your morning caffeine fix, think local. From Barossa to Megan’s, Labi’s to Hally’s and plenty more pit stops in between, finding a welcoming nook for a cup of Joe is hardly taxing, so there’s no excuse to head to the chain barristers on auto-pilot mode – none at all.

Brush up on your wine and beer knowledge

For those taking the ‘dry’ route in January, look away now; for everyone else who stopped counting their alcohol units after their first mince pie of the festive season, read on. Want to know your Merlot from your Malbec? West London Wine School offers all manner of wine tasting classes, ranging from casual tastings to eight week courses for the most serious of swiggers. For the ale aficionados, DR.iNK on Fulham Palace Road is the best place to start. The beer boutique is home to some 600 premium bottled beers and frequently hosts tastings as well as craft beer supperclub nights (fresh curry paste can be made to order while you wait throughout the week, too). Speaking of food, on 8 February DR.INK, in collaboration with The Indytute, will present ‘A Saucy Brew’; an evening of four Gujarati courses served with ten different beers and hosted by international beer judge Alex Barlow. Make ours a large – for educational purposes only, of course. West London Wine School: 71 Townmead Road, SW6 2ST (westlondonwineschool.com) DR.iNK: 349 Fulham Palace Road, SW6 6TB (drinkoffulham.com; indytute.com)

Ditch the diet

Forget calorie counting– diets are so 2013. An anti-detox might sound like an oxymoron, but as long as it favours any type of nourishment that isn’t green, spirulina infused sludge, we’re in. Wellness guru Karen CummingsPalmer and Pilates expert Chloe Hodgson will lead a two-hour Anti-Detox Workshop at Slice Studios on 14 January, packed with useful tricks to right the excesses of the festive season through food, supplementation, lifestyle choices and Pilates.

14 January, 6.30-8.30pm, £30pp or £50 for two people; book online at slicestudios.co.uk. 11 Heathmans Road, SW6 4TJ, 020 7186 6007 - 20 -

Spilling the beans Belinda Donovan goes on a quest to find Fulham’s best cup of coffee I had been longing to try the Munster Road branch of Café Plum, so feeling in need of a caffeine pick-me-up on a chilly morning, I grabbed my friend and headed off to the cosy husband and wife owned coffee shop. My friend had a decaffeinated cappuccino and I had a deliciously frothy latte. Both were the perfect temperature – no need to wait forever for it to cool only to then run out of time and have to slurp it. Our coffees were mellow without a hint of bitterness and very smooth. The tempting array of salads and mouth-watering cakes and sandwiches made us wish we could linger for lunch and the service was extremely friendly. We both decided that this would be a regular meeting place and definitely a contender for the best coffee in Fulham!

Email fulham@residentsjournal.co.uk with your coffee shop recommendations for Belinda to try

Bishop Creighton House 374-380 Lillie Road

Mary’s Living & Giving Shop 28 New King’s Road SW6 4ST 020 7751 0597 (maryportas.com)

SW6 7PH 020 7385 9689 (creightonhouse.org)

Support a local charity

Fulham Good Neighbour Service 70 Rosaline Road, SW6 7QT, 020 7385 8850 (fulhamgoodneighbours.org)

Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation 446 Fulham Road, SW6 1DT, 020 7385 2110 (stoll.org.uk)

Get the year off to a charitable start by supporting a local good cause. Volunteer your time to help befriend isolated and vulnerable residents at Fulham Good Neighbours or Bishop Creighton House; spare a few pennies to support veterans residing at Stoll or forgo your usual supermarket sandwich for lunch cooked up at The Beef Kitchen, where all the proceeds go back into training up veterans. Failing that, why not donate your old clothes to the local Mary’s Living & Giving Shop in aid of Save the Children?

Become the next Steven Spielberg

If getting a film credit is on your tick-list for the year ahead, the London Film Academy offers practical film training to help you take your first steps towards professional employment in the film industry. On offer, courses in production, editing, screenwriting and documentary making await, along with foundation, certificate and postgraduate diploma courses, which can vary from just one day to a year in length. 52a Walham Grove, SW6 1QR, 020 7386 7711 (londonfilmacademy.com)

Learn to bake

Blame baking doyenne Mary Berry, but our appetite for cake is greater than ever. Give the office star baker (every office has one) a reason to quiver over her piping bag by enlisting some expert help at The Fulham & Chelsea Cake Company. The confectioners won highly commended in the Creative Business category of the recent Hammersmith & Fulham Brilliant Business Awards. When founder Laura Greenyer isn’t making scrumptious cakes to order, she teaches those with an appreciation for the sweeter things in life the art of baking and cake decoration from her kitchen in Fulham. Langthorne Street, SW6 6JT 020 7385 5016 (fulhamcakeco.com)

11 12

Start cycling

13 - 21 -

The south west expansion of Barclays Cycle Hire scheme launched in Fulham in December, meaning there are currently around 1,700 bikes available to hire from 60 docking stations borough-wide; endless potential then, to pedal your way from A to B. For ease, cycle hire users can become a registered member and get a key which gives them access to bikes all year round for £90 (that’s a mere 25p per day). Day’s Cycles on Dawes Road is a good bet if you need to service your own rusty bike, resurrected from the back of the shed. Day’s Cycles: 213 Dawes Road SW6 7QZ, 020 7385 3870

FULHAM Residents’ Journal

the noticeboard A forum for residents’ daily concerns and activities

Local

focus

Belinda Donovan gets a culinary MOT at Leiths Cookery School with managing director Camilla Schneideman

have been looking forward to visiting the world famous Leiths Cookery School ever since I got wind that it had moved to the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham from Kensington six years ago. I can still remember – although it seems like a lifetime ago – heading to the restaurant attached to its old premises just off Portobello Road for a friend’s birthday. We gorged on the most delicious ice cream balls, dipped in dreamy dark chocolate which had just set; like the most indulgent choc ice that ever existed.

What immediately strikes me as I wander around is how much fun the students are having As soon as I arrive for my (rather belated) Leiths visit, I am met by its lovely reception ladies and given a dreamy cappuccino to fuel my guided tour of the kitchens and lecture theatre. All the while, memories of my days spent over the stove at La Varenne in Paris, where I trained as a chef more than 30 years ago, come flooding back. What immediately strikes me as I wander around is how much fun the students are having, clearly relishing every moment of being taught how to produce such fabulous food. Owned by Sir Christopher Bland, and the brainchild of Prue Leith and Caroline Waldegrave, Leiths is now run by managing director

Camilla Schneideman, who talks me through some of the courses on offer. Camilla was head hunted by Leiths from Divertimenti (my personal favourite cook shop) and her family’s own business, where she set up a cookery school. There is a professional chef diploma course for anyone who might want to start their own business, whether that involves working as a chef, writing about food, or setting up a food van. Leiths also has its own agency called Leiths List, which gives career guidance for the food business. How I wish I’d had access to such a facility when I was starting up an events and catering business in the borough back in the early 90s. Diploma course students at Leiths get access to legal experts, accountants and a health and safety specialist – in fact, everything they need to help make their business fantasies a reality. Previous Leiths alumni are also asked back to recount culinary trials and tribulations and share their own inspirational stories. Evening classes as well as one day courses on a specific topic are available, as well as a six-week course, which is made up of one lesson a week, often spent learning contemporary recipes that are very user (and eater) friendly. There is also a Saturday course which is popular with local residents. After an hour of inspirational gourmet food conversation and a sneak peak at the new Leiths How to Cook cookery book (£30, Quadrille Publishing Ltd, September 2013), it was back to reality and out into the crisp afternoon, armed with a whole set of new recipes to try out and a genuine urge to recommend a cookery course to everyone. 16-20 Wendell Road, W12 9RT, 020 8749 6400 (leiths.com)

- 22 -

Planning applications Date registered: 16 December Address: Brompton Park Crescent Proposal: Pruning of 18 London plane trees, subject to tree preservation order to previous reduction points Date registered: 16 December Address: Fulham High Road Proposal: submission of details of a scheme for temporary fencing and/or enclosure of a site

Club culture Rugby match report by Henry Tanner

Chiswick 29 vs Hammers 12

All images

courtesy

of Leiths

Cookery

The Hammers werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t able to finish off their year in style at the weekend, coming up against a stubborn Chiswick side. The visitors were always facing an uphill battle after a poor opening 20 and ultimately were never able to test their local rivals and open up their attacking game which had been so effective the week before. With Chiswick switching the play well between open and blind sides, the Hammers were eventually caught out when a smart offload from their centre allowed their fullback to open the scoreboard. With the conversion to follow, things went from bad to worse for Fulham. With another try to follow the second, again from their backline, Hammers were 19-0 down after 20 minutes and staring down the gun barrel. Captain Steve Harrington pulled the Hammers to one side and fired off some direct comments. With the dressing down complete, Hammers then settled into their play a bit more and finally managed to get some phases together. Joel Rabbidge and Ryan Dilley in the flanks managed to slow down the ball for Chiswick and Will Jeffs, back after an absence of some weeks, threatened from the centre channels. With hooker Tony Rees forced off at the half with concussion, Frenchman Amaury was called on to throw in and hook. This rearrangement actually coincided with the Hammers getting the better of Chiswick in the second half, but they were still never able to finish off their attacks. Chiswick had barely been in the Hammers 22 when they killed off the game and grabbed their bonus point. The Hammers line crumbled and Chiswick took the lead 26-0. This was the moment that Hammers eventually woke up. Rabbidge and Tanner combined while some interpassing between Jeffs and McClure led to the latter dotting down in the corner. McClure knocked his conversion over while Tom Hamnett forced his way over in the other corner. But Chiswick slowed the game down and managed to keep hold of the ball. With Chiswick knocking over a penalty in the last play, Ewoud Both, assistant coach, summed up the game by saying that Hammers need to bring more physicality to their matches if they are to really push forward in 2014.

School

- 23 -

FULHAM Residents’ Journal

planning & development Structural changes in the area

Bridging Below / Chris Medland (left) and his team: Nina Molina, Richard Arnold and Bogdan Pataliu

two worlds

Linking two communities, the Diamond Jubilee Footbridge – the first new structure to be built astride the River Thames in a decade – has finally been approved

er Majesty the Queen was resplendent, a vision in white, as she boarded the Spirit of Chartwell, a ceremonial barge specially commissioned for her 2012 Diamond Jubilee celebration. All eyes rested on the Royal family as they smiled and waved, and surely little attention was paid to the actual location of said embarkation. A few eyes, however, were firmly fixed on this humble spot near Albert Bridge, poised with plans unfurling for London’s newest structural development. In late November, the announcement that the Diamond Jubilee Footbridge, joining Fulham and Battersea, had at long last been approved must have been met with a sigh of relief across the borough

for the many people and companies involved with the project. This bridge has been a long time coming. ‘One-world design architects discussed the idea of a bridge in this location with Hotel Rafayel owner Iqbal Latif as far back as 2011,’ Chris Medland, director of the architecture practice charged with the design of the structure, tells me. As early as 1924, two years before the Queen’s birth, Viscount Curzon MP acknowledged in the House of Commons that a bridge for pedestrian access between Wandsworth Bridge and Battersea Bridge was needed. Chris continues: ‘Together we - 24 -

decided the idea was a good one, so One-world design set about creating a plan. In 2003, the local authorities instigated a feasibility study to select the best position for a new crossing and in 2010 in a re-election promotional video, former Battersea MP Martin Linton called for a footbridge to be built alongside Battersea Railway Bridge.’ Current Battersea MP Jane

Ellison and Richard Tracey of the London Assembly have also achieved widespread coverage and support for the bridge since their election. Setting the ball in motion, the backing of Palace Investments and Hotel Rafayel enabled a full design team to be engaged and consultation to be undertaken. The highly skilled, creative minds drawn together to formulate plans for this pedestrian and cycle link include: structural engineers Expedition Engineering; river works design specialists Becket Rankine; environmental hydraulic engineers and hydrological impact assessors HR Wallingford; Fulham Council said of the project: environmental consultants RPS; of the existing railway bridge, ‘The new bridge has the potential ecologists Thomson Ecology; Chris tells the Journal. ‘As further to give the south of our borough a archaeologists Oxford Archaeology; investigations were carried out and real boost by improving the local spatial accessibility advice and use consultation responses were received, economy, bringing jobs to the area analysts Space Syntax; lighting the constraints and disadvantages of and making transport links better designers Paul Nulty, alongside Onethis scheme became apparent. Chief and faster. We look forward to world design as lead consultants and among the disadvantages was the seeing this exciting idea becoming architects, Red7Marine, which will realisation that building four piers in reality and with 1.2 million trips manage construction sequencing the river would disturb the ecology expected across the and logistical advice new bridge per year, and Gleeds, which will The project now seeks private this will be beneficial handle outline cost corporate sponsorship in exchange for naming for local residents as preparation. well as commuters One-world design, rights and for the bridge to be gifted to London and visitors who come a RIBA chartered at no cost to the taxpayer or Local Authorities through the borough.’ architectural practice Chris admits with sustainable design that the programme is reliant at its core, has worked voluntarily of the tidal mud flats and disrupt on successful sponsorship at the to ensure that the bridge secured the navigation of the houseboats in moment, but if a sponsor is found planning permission. The project now Albion Quay in particular.’ before Easter, work could begin in seeks private corporate sponsorship The plan was adjusted accordingly autumn 2014, with a completion in exchange for naming rights and and a three-arch scheme which date of spring/summer 2015. for the bridge to be gifted to London resolved the environmental issues at no cost to the taxpayer or Local emerged as a front runner. Words / Katie Randall Authorities. And what a wonderful gift ‘The design features two for London it will be. Hammersmith large arches, spanning the and Fulham Council’s Design Review equivalent of two spans Panel, made up of representatives of the existing Battersea from local residents’ associations Railway Bridge (which and amenity groups, thought it was a the footbridge will run ‘terrific proposal for this part of town.’ alongside).’ The 170-metre-long bridge, In total, nine different costing approximately £22 million, concept options that will link Imperial Wharf and Chelsea worked within the tight Harbour. The architects hope it will physical parameters were allow commuters greater access to explored, involving Imperial Wharf’s station in Fulham, forked paths around a alleviating the pressure on Clapham tubular steel arch and All images Junction Station. suspended decks. courtesy of One-w orld desi ‘The first proposal developed Cllr Nicholas gn was for a five-arch bridge, which Botterill, leader of would closely follow the arches Hammersmith and - 25 -

FULHAM Residents’ Journal

the directory Whether whim or wish, all of the essentials are taken care of in our round up for harmonious living

ESTATE AGENTS John D Wood & Co 287 New King’s Road 020 7731 4223 Knight Frank 203 New King’s Road 020 7751 2400 Marsh & Parsons 105 Moore Park Road 020 7736 9822 Savills 191 New King’s Road 020 7731 9400

Chesterton Humberts ‘Three offices – one great postcode’ 78 New Kings Road 020 7731 4448

Winkworths Fulham and Parsons Green 40 New King’s Road 020 7731 3388 fulham@winkworths.co.uk

Strutt & Parker 701 Fulham Road 020 7731 7100

Haus Properties 99 Wandsworth Bridge Road 020 7751 0400

Belvoir! 632 Fulham Road 020 7736 2786

PROPERTY SEARCH AGENT Penn Holmes London Ltd ‘SW6 ladies Katie and Francesca specialise in buying properties for their clients here in Fulham.’ 55 Langthorne Street 07884 180480 07989 746499

FASHION Essam Guenedy 267 New King’s Road 020 7371 8010

Marc Wallace 261 New King’s Road 020 7736 6795

Katie & Jo 253 New King’s Road 020 7736 5304

Iceblu 24a New King’s Road 020 7371 9292

Claudia Sebire 136 Fulham Road 020 7835 1327

Mania Mia 307 New King’s Road 020 3441 1003

Zaeem Jamal ‘Luxury, hand-embroidered evening gowns decorated with radiant gem stones.’ 309 King’s Road 020 7100 2072

HEALTH & BEAUTY BEAUTY

Space NK 205 New Kings Road 020 7736 6728

hair salon

pharmacy

spa

boutique

guest house

luxury

Gina Conway 612 Fulham Road 020 7731 7633

Palace Pharmacy 331 Fulham Palace Road 020 7736 3034

Amara Spa 18-20 Fulham High Street 020 7384 9111

hotels b&b

Fulham Thames Walk B&B 91 Langthorne Street 020 7381 0198

La Reserve Hotel 422-428 Fulham Road 020 7385 8561

Fulham Guest House 55 Wandsworth Bridge Road 020 7731 1662 - 26 -

Millennium & Copthorne Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road 020 7565 1400

HOME INTERIOR DESIGN Alice Leigh Design 12 Parkville Road 07801 823953 (aliceleigh.co.uk)

Caroline Fooks Design

WOOD FLOORING Bembé UK Ltd ‘German craft since 1780.’

Unit 13 Sulivan Enterprise Centre Sulivan Road 020 7386 5772 (carolinefooksdesign.com)

315-317 New King’s Road 020 7371 9090

schools & nurseries Chelsea Independent College 517-523 Fulham Road 020 7610 1114

Godolphin and Latymer School Iffley Road 020 8741 1936

Latymer Upper School 237 King Street 0845 638 5800

Eridge House Preparatory School 1 Fulham Park Road 020 7371 9009

Hurlingham and Chelsea School Peterborough Road 020 7731 2581

L’Ecole des Petits 2 Hazlebury Road 020 7371 8350

Fulham Cross Girls’ School Munster Road 020 7381 0861

Kensington Prep School 596 Fulham Road 020 7731 9300

Millie’s House Nursery & Pre-School 163 New King’s Road 020 7731 0440

Fulham Prep School 200 Greyhound Road 020 7371 9911

Lady Margaret School Parsons Green 020 7736 7138

Parayhouse School New King’s Road 020 7751 0914

essentials childcare

Fulham Nannies 69 Stephendale Road 020 7736 8289

cleaner

Vanston Dry Cleaning/ Laundry 1 Vanston Place 020 7381 3609

post office Fulham Road Post Office 815 Fulham Road 0845 722 3344

plumber

The London Oratory School Seagrave Road 020 7385 0102 The Moat School Bishop’s Avenue 020 7610 9018 Thomas’s Fulham Hugon Road 020 7751 8200

luxury services EVENTS

Sweetapple Heating & Plumbing ‘Local Gas Safe registered plumbing and heating engineers, offering a 24 hour service’ 130 Stephendale Road 020 7371 0409 07889 184146 (sweetappleplumbing.co.uk)

Sinclair House School 159 Munster Road 020 7736 9182

Addoastra ‘A boutique event management company based in London but operating throughout the country’ 20 Reporton Road 020 3689 4585 (addoastra.com)

florist

Town and County Flowers 131 Wandsworth Bridge 020 7736 4683 - 27 -

printing

Paramount Press Ltd 129 Munster Road 020 7731 0900

stationer

Perry’s 777 Fulham Road 020 7736 7225

travel

The Ultimate Travel Co. 25-27 Vanston Place 020 7386 4646

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

Savills Fulham Bishops Park 423 Fulham Palace Road London SW6 6SX 020 7578 9050

Savills Fulham Parsons Green 191 New Kings Road London SW6 4SW 020 7731 9400

savills.co.uk

SA72628 Fulham Resi Journal NY WPB.indd 1

05/12/2013 10:06

3 10:06

savills.co.uk

1 FABULOUS SEMI-DETACHED HOUSE ellerby street, sw6 2 reception rooms ø kitchen/dining room ø 6 bedrooms ø 5 bathrooms ø 2 cloakrooms ø utility room ø garden ø off-street parking ø 438 sq m (4,715 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Guide £5.5 million Freehold

Savills Fulham Emma Stead estead@savills.com

020 7731 9420

savills.co.uk

1 EXCEPTIONAL FULLY EXTENDED HOME IN THE HEART OF PARSONS GREEN coniger road, sw6 Reception room ø kitchen/dining room ø media/family room ø 6 bedrooms (3 en suite) ø 2 further bathrooms ø utility room ø 2 cloakrooms ø storage room ø garden ø 270 sq m (2,906 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Guide £3.25 million Freehold

Savills Fulham Justin Theobald jtheobald@savills.com

020 7731 9420

savills.co.uk

1 SUPERB INTERIOR DESIGNED HOUSE NEAR BISHOPS PARK cloncurry street, sw6 Reception room ø kitchen/dining room ø family/media room ø master suite with dressing room ø 5 further bedrooms ø 3 further bathrooms ø 2 cloakrooms ø utility room ø garden studio ø south facing garden ø 376 sq m (4,047 sq ft) ø EPC=B Guide £3.85 million Freehold

Savills Fulham Glynn Gibb ggibb@savills.com

020 7731 9420

savills.co.uk

L L O

1 UNIQUE UPPER MAISONETTE WITH IMPRESSIVE GARDEN durrell road, sw6 Reception room ø kitchen ø 2 double bedrooms ø bathroom ø cellar ø garden ø 108 sq.m (1163 sq.ft) ø EPC=E

Savills Fulham Henry Forbes hforbes@savills.com

020 7731 9420 Guide £1.15 million Freehold

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

MODERN, NEWLY REFURBISHED HOUSE mablethorpe street, sw6 4 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms (1 en suite) ø double reception room ø eat-in kitchen ø guest w.c ø patio garden ø Council Tax=F ø EPC=D

Savills Fulham - Bishops Park Kate Rotheram krotheram@savills.com

020 7578 9051 Unfurnished £850 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.

WE HAVE THE

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

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

Local know-how. Better results.

LANDLORDS IN LONDON CHOOSE TO RENT THEIR PROPERTIES WITH US

In a recent award win, the judges described us as...

“...having customer service and the local community at its heart.”

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

Local know-how. Better results. Our ofﬁces:

Battersea

Chelsea

Fulham

Kensington

Mayfair

Pimlico & Westminster

Balham

Bishops Park

Clapham

Hammersmith

Little Venice

North Kensington

South Kensington

Barnes

Brook Green

Earls Court

Holland Park

Marylebone

Notting Hill

Moore Park Road SW6 £1,999,950 Located just off Eel Brook Common, this outstanding end-of-terrace, six-bedroom house has recently been extended to provide wider than average accommodation arranged over three floors. Offering an abundance of natural light, the house comprises a beautiful double reception room, kitchen, five double bedrooms, a further bedroom/study, two bathrooms, two shower rooms and a ground floor cloakroom. The house also benefits from a delightful west facing garden. Share of Freehold. EPC=E. Sole Agents.

FULHAM: 020 7736 9822 sales.ful@marshandparsons.co.uk

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SALES

See all of our properties online: marshandparsons.co.uk

St. James Street SW6 £1,195,000 This stunning three-bedroom period house has been ﬁnished to the highest standard and offers a wealth of entertaining space. The property compromises a large reception room, a modern kitchen leading out to a private garden, a generous master bedroom suite, two further double bedrooms and a separate family bathroom. St. James Street is situated a stone’s throw from the River Thames, close to Bishops Park. Share of Freehold. EPC=E. Sole Agents.

BISHOPS PARK: 020 7993 9888 sales.bis@marshandparsons.co.uk

The Negotiator Awards 2013 (for the 2nd year running!)

Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year 2013 - Gold (for the 2nd year running!)

Community Champion of the Year

Best London Estate Agency

The Negotiator Awards 2013 - Silver

Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year 2013 (Medium) - Gold (for the 4th year running!)

Tasso Road SW6 £1,100,000 This sensational mid-terrace Victorian house is beautifully presented throughout, comprising well balanced accommodation over two floors. The ground floor boasts a stunning double reception room and a separate kitchen leading out to a beautiful private garden. The second floor is home to the master bedroom along with two further bedrooms and a family bathroom. Freehold. EPC=D. Sole Agent.

BISHOPS PARK: 020 7993 9888 sales.bis@marshandparsons.co.uk

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LETTINGS

See all of our properties online: marshandparsons.co.uk

Gowan Avenue SW6 £1,350 per week The accommodation includes a front reception room with cornicing and fireplace, a separate kitchen, cellar and a second reception room at the rear of the property leading out to a lovely patio garden. The upper floors consist of a large master bedroom with plenty of storage, a walk-in wardrobe and en suite bathroom, four further bedrooms and two further bathrooms. The property also benefits from a private garage. EPC=D

FULHAM: 020 7736 9822 lets.ful@marshandparsons.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk

York Mansions, Battersea SW11 Four bedroom park facing apartment

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

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

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

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

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

Dorlcote Road, Wandsworth SW18 Wonderful views

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

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

PROPERTY DIVERSITY The intelligent solution to buying property

Coming Soon info@propertydiversity.com

LandLords and ProPerty Investors WInter’s here… For an expert view on this season’s ever-changing lettings market, please call Belvoir! and speak to our specialists. Our professional advice is provided confidentially, free and without obligation. We look forward to assisting you soon. 632 Fulham Road | London | SW6 5RT 020 7736 2786 | fulham@belvoirlettings.com

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Munster Road, SW6

A unique and well located double fronted house with a commercial aspect that offers huge scope for development and extension.

ÂŁ2,200,000 Freehold

Fulham Sales 020 7731 7100 Fulham@struttandparker.com

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Avalon Road, SW6

ÂŁ1,800,000 Freehold

Fulham 020 7731 7100 Fulham@struttandparker.com

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struttandparker.com

Kingwood Road, SW6

An extremely well presented four bedroom house with extensive, open reception space and a large modern kitchen/breakfast room.

£875 per week* Unfurnished

Fulham Lettings 020 7731 7100 Fulham.lettings@struttandparker.com

*The following Tennant charges may apply prior to tennancy commencement: Tenancy Agreement £210 (inc VAT) Credit References per application £54 (inc VAT). All advertised prices are excluded and other associated services.

P RIS

Where will we find your perfect buyer? At Strutt & Parker, we’ve always gone to great lengths to bring the right buyer to your door, using our knowledge, contacts and total commitment to achieve the sale you want. But now we go further than ever. As members in the Christie’s International Real Estate network, we can reach quality buyers in 41 countries via 920 offices and a website visited 135,600 times a month. There’s no better way to open your door to the world. 701 Fulham Road London, SW6 5UL Tel: +44 (0)20 7731 7100 fulham@struttandparker.com struttandparker.com/christies

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