fulham Resident s Journal ’
JULY 201 4 • issue 22
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Dear Resident, Art is the theme for this month’s issue as we uncover the array of artistic talent thriving on our doorstep. The redundant cooling tower of The Old Gas Works on Michael Road is a common sight on Fulham’s skyline, but did you know that the buildings British Gas left behind are now home to a community of creatives? Lauren Romano goes behind the scenes to visit some of the artists’ studios. Get a sneak peek of where the magic happens from page seven. Elsewhere, anyone who has ever wanted to start an art collection of their own should turn to page 16 for inspiration aplenty. Here, Emma Moir of Box Galleries shares her tips on investing wisely. As we embark on our summer holidays this month some of us might wish to escape the rat race permanently. Lauren Romano meets a local author who made his dream a reality. Anthony Stancomb swapped SW6 for the remote Croatian island of Vis and has written a book all about his experiences. Turn to page 18 for the full story. From all of the team at the Fulham Residents’ Journal we hope you have a pleasant summer break and we look forward to hearing more of your news when we return in September.
Image/Wasteland Flowers by Sammy Dent, photo by Matthew Hollow. Read more about Sammy’s work on page seven.
Managing Editor Francesca Lee Assistant Editor Lauren Romano Editorial Assistant Jennifer Mason Editorial Intern Tom Hagues Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood
Managing Director Eren Ellwood
Publishing Director Giles Ellwood
General Manager Fiona Fenwick
Executive Director Sophie Roberts
Production Hugo Wheatley Alex Powell Oscar Viney Amy Roberts Members of the Professional Publishers Association
Client Relationship Director Felicity Morgan-Harvey Senior Designer Lisa Wade
FULHAM Residents’ Journal
LOCAL NEWS Keep your finger on the pulse with our roundup of local news
Pedalo power What do you get if you take a motor-sports journalist, an actor, a lawyer and a banker, put them in a pedalo shaped like the Loch Ness monster and tell them to peddle their way through 500 miles of some of the UK’s most treacherous waters? All being well, sore calf muscles and £250,000 for charity. It might sound like something Bear Grylls would do on a weekend off from fighting polar bears in the Arctic, but nonetheless four local residents will attempt to become the first people to circumnavigate the northern part of Scotland by pedalo in aid of Cancer Research UK and Parkinson’s UK. The captain of the “ship” (which has been named Mutley) is Ed Foster, the brains behind the venture. ‘I’m pretty good at coming up with ideas that may or may not be possible,’ he laughs, joking that he’ll be playing the bagpipes to keep up team morale. Apart from hoping to complete the course, Ed and the rest of the crew – Natasha Kirby, Nicholas Kirby and Sholto Morgan – want to raise money and awareness for the charities. ‘We need a cure for these terrible diseases now,’ Ed says. ‘That’s why we’re embarking on a mission that many people have labelled as “stupid”, “impossible” and “downright dangerous”.’ The team know first-hand the vital work both charities do; Ed’s father suffers from Parkinson’s, while Natasha and Nicholas lost their mother to cancer last year. The team is currently in training for the challenge, which will see the crew depart for Inverness, head down the Caledonian Canal, out into the Irish Sea and up around the top of Scotland before heading back to Inverness. At the time of print, Ed and co. were about to hit the £50,000 mark. To help them reach their £250,000 target, make a donation via the Virgin Money Giving page: virginmoneygiving.com/pedalo or visit the website for further information. (the500milepedalo.com)
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New mayor elected Councillor Mercy Umeh has become the new mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham after the mayoral chains were passed on by Cllr Frances Stainton at the council’s annual meeting last month. The new mayor has lived in Shepherd’s Bush Green for 38 years and has been councillor for her local ward since 2002, as well as serving as deputy mayor from 2004 to 2005. ‘I am looking forward to working with our diverse communities, especially with the police and our young people, to bring everyone together,’ Cllr Umeh told the Journal. ‘I want to bring compassion into our daily lives, wherever that may be.’
Life’s a beach Whether you are holidaying in Cornwall or the Caribbean this summer, local resident Stephanie Binlinch’s take on the humble beach towel is a handy suitcase essential. The founder of Blue Summer Travel Essentials has transformed the traditional Kenyan kikoy sarong, originally worn by fishermen along East Africa’s coastline, to create a lightweight towel-cum-cover-up which rolls into a compact bundle. Handwoven by artisan weavers in Kenya from natural cotton fibres, the towels are available in 22 colours and come with a hidden inside pocket to keep all valuables concealed when you head off for a dip in the sea.
Pull up a chair The coffee shop that brought tastings and live music nights for locals, has got a new trick up its sleeve: aperitivo. After receiving a premises licence and extending its open hours to 10pm, the baristas at Chairs and Coffee are branching out to the Italian take on tapas. Every evening from 6pm, the shop will offer a free buffet of charcuterie and cheese platters for customers who stop by for a drink. As well as the traditional aperol spritz, a range of gins, beers and espresso martinis will also be served. 512 Fulham Road, SW6 5NJ, 020 7018 1913 @chairsandcoffee
(bluesummerboutique.com)
Play time After a long fundraising campaign, the new playground at Ray’s Playhouse finally opened to a crowd of excited youngsters last month. The outdoor area at the not-forprofit children’s centre now boasts a slide, a sandpit and climbing structures and has opened just in time for the summer holidays. 247 Stephendale Road, SW6 2PR (raysplayhouse.org)
©nicholaspealldesign.com
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FULHAM Residents’ Journal
Main image/ Sammy Dent’s studio. Below: Wasteland Flowers
Behind the scenes:
The artists
In the shadows of skeletal cooling towers, The Old Gas Works is home to more than 300 individuals and businesses, including a large community of artists. Lauren Romano navigates her way around the labyrinth to see them at work
Sammy Dent When I imagine an artist’s studio, I imagine something not too dissimilar to Sammy Dent’s. Tubs and tubes of acrylic, gloss varnish and chubby oil bars strewn across every surface, vibrant plant splatters that cover the walls to the floor in rainbow-hued polka dots: the room itself is like a giant painting palette. Above, at ceiling level, huge rolls of canvas are suspended and reached via a set of gymnastic hoops, operated by a pulley system. In the midst of it all, dressed as brightly as her studio, sits Sammy Dent, an authority on the art of chromatography. Her bold, energetic paintings, which, at 6ft x 5ft, dominate the space, have a sense of spontaneity and impulsiveness
about them. ‘My work hovers somewhere between the abstract and the figurative,’ Sammy tells me, as I gaze at one of her latest creations: a blurry bouquet whose petals leak puffy plumes of pigment. ‘Much of my art is inspired by organic matter and plant life and, of course, the excuse to use colour,’ she laughs. Sammy is not afraid to explore different materials and uses a plethora to create her paintings; from oil bars and acrylics to mussel shells and the odd pair of old leather trousers. She shows me a huge blank canvas, stretched with velvet, which will form the base of her next piece. ‘It’s such a beautiful colour; I can’t wait to get started!’ (sammydent.co.uk)
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FULHAM Residents’ Journal
Dawn Reader Stepping into Dawn Reader’s light-filled studio with seascapes covering the walls, easels and floor, a wave of calm rushes over me. The gentle eddies of the tide and the glassy smoothness of the frozen polar landscapes look like scenes from a nature programme put on pause, yet you can almost hear the sluice of the water over the flotsam and taste the salty spray riding on the foaming crests. ‘I’ve always loved the sea,’ Dawn begins by way of an explanation. ‘It is constantly changing and moving, so each moment is different. I enjoy getting lost in the distance on the horizon and the dreaming that comes with that, and I am always mesmerised by the way the water dances in the light.’ Among the coastal snapshots, depictions of the polar region command a powerful reverence. Created after Dawn’s exploration of the Arctic (guarded by a rifle-bearing man on polar-bear watch), Iceland and Antarctica, the isolation and the bleakness of the landscape are conceived as majestic and tranquil, yet delicate and fragile. ‘Historically, seas have been depicted as places of death and destruction, but I’ve always found the sea
to be a place of restoration and peace, of promise and hope,’ she adds. But will she get bored of the coast, I enquire. ‘Never!’ Dawn affirms with a smile. ‘I recently painted a series of trees and flowers and I occasionally do murals too, but I always come back to the sea. I’m not ashamed of painting something beautiful.’ (dawnreader.com) Clockwise from left / Touching the Sky; Dawn Reader’s studio; two recent plant works; A Seascape
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Tessa Eastman Stepping into Tessa Eastman’s workspace, I feel like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. On the work benches, the ceramicist’s latest creations sit, emanating a childish fantasy. However, on closer inspection, the weird and wonderful, topsyturvy display of objects and bodies are tinged with a darker, more disturbing energy. ‘Juxtaposition inspires me,’ Tessa begins, showing me around her small studio which is crammed with plastic toys, moulds and tools. ‘I find the transition from childhood to adulthood fascinating, and I try to recreate the dual meanings hidden within childhood fantasy and fairytales.’ The playful colours and shapes might momentarily distract from the enormous amount of intricate detail and skill involved, but all of Tessa’s designs are unique and fired several times to achieve a richness of gloss and colour. ‘I was lucky enough to have a ceramics studio at my school and that led me towards a ceramics degree from the University of Westminster and my current masters at the Royal College of Art. I like the challenge of working with clay. You need to practise repeatedly in order to perfect things.’ As we talk, I am distracted by a strangely macabre-looking, ceramic wedding cake sitting on the shelf. ‘One of my favourite pieces of work is entitled Burning Slices of Death,’ Tessa says, clocking my fascination. ‘It explores the seduction, pleasure and pain of gluttony and represents the greed in society – how we want to have our cake and eat it without thinking about the consequences. It consists of 17 different slices that have all been sold individually. I would love all the purchasers to get together and have a celebration with their cake,’ she concludes. I have no doubt that it would put the Mad Hatter’s tea party to shame. (tessaeastman.com) From top / Burning Slices of Death; Great Little Britain; Tessa in her studio; Straw Sea Shore Berry. Photography by Sussie Ahlburg (images 1&4) and Stephen Brayne (images 2&3)
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FULHAM Residents’ Journal
Pia Descamps A leopard fixes his gaze on me, his big husky, green eyes a mix of fierceness and vulnerability. Flanked by zebras, a chimpanzee, hippos, roaring lions, meerkats and majestic giraffes, the safari in Pia Descamps’ studio is a long way from its natural habitat. In fact, the savannah has been replaced by an oblong room overlooking the Harley-Davidson garage, which purrs and rumbles down below. Pia’s suntrap of a studio is more like a living room, filled with colourful trinkets from her travels around the world. ‘I am passionate about saving elephants and am involved with an elephant orphanage outside Nairobi,’ she tells me. ‘They are the sweetest creatures. When their guards bring them back after a long day in the bush, there is a stampede for their evening milk bottles,’ she smiles, recalling her time spent painting there. A self-taught artist, Pia was born in Belgium and lived in Lebanon, Greece, Rio de Janeiro and New York before settling in London where she has been based at The Old Gas Works for 12 years. Her figurative animal watercolours – part of a commission that she is currently working on – are just one side of her work. Pia’s range and scope are impressive. From figurative landscapes and their abstract counterparts stripped of geographical details, to her tumultuous wave paintings pulsing with kinetic energy, she likes to keep her painting varied. ‘Once I have finished working in one medium, I start on another. I let my inspiration take the lead.’ (piadescamps.co.uk)
From top / Pia’s studio; Blue Velvet; Pia’s latest wildlife watercolours
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From top / Summer 2012 #8 Below: Summer 2012 #24
Marc-Antoine Goulard ‘Painting is my second life,’ Marc-Antoine Goulard begins in his melodic French accent. Perched on a paintsplattered stool in his studio, sipping an espresso, he casts an eye over his large, monochromatic canvases that are propped up against the walls all around him. Having studied music at the Paris Conservatoire, Marc-Antoine moved to Boston to try his hand at the saxophone and to study jazz at the Berklee College of Music. It was there that he decided he wanted to paint. ‘I enrolled at a little drawing school in Boston and then I got accepted at The New School in New York,’ he tells me. Marc-Antoine lived and worked in New York for almost 20 years, before moving to Paris and then to London, where he has been based at The Old Gas Works for four years. It’s hard to imagine that the same man who creates the abstract works that are dotted about his studio once used to paint figurative dancing scenes. ‘Back then, I wanted to impose a subject,’ he reminisces. ‘But then there is no mystery.’ The process involved in creating MarcAntoine’s paintings gives them a three-
dimensionality. His work bench is strewn with the arsenal of different palette knives he uses to drag very fine layers of paint across the surface. ‘It was a matter of material which prompted my new direction,’ he says. ‘I had run out of canvases and brushes at my New York studio, but I had plywood and some tools. All my layers are very thin to achieve transparency; sometimes there are hundreds of them. ‘If you change the light, different layers and colours disappear,’ he adds, gesturing to another painting. ‘It’s not still, it’s always moving. That’s why I decided to branch into abstract work, because with figurative paintings there is just one body or one shape. My work gives you a window into something else, something that you can dive into.’ (marcantoinegoulard.com)
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FULHAM Residents’ Journal
From top /4 Rifles CASEVAC in Helmand Province; The Inns of Court & City Yeomanry Mess After Midnight
Hugh Beattie ‘I don’t have long to chat,’ Hugh Beattie begins in a hurry. ‘I’m off to Afghanistan on Friday,’ he continues matter-of-factly, as if he is preparing for a camping expedition to Cornwall. He’s not being insincere, however – Hugh is an old hand when it comes to painting on the front line. Having been commissioned by the 4 Rifles, recent tours have seen him pack his oils and head off to the Middle East to capture the regiment at work there. ‘I celebrate peacekeeping jobs and promote what the army does through painting,’ he explains. Hugh has been based at his studios in The Old Gas Works since 2007. In that time, he has turned his brushes to portraits and architectural landscapes as well as military scenes. His work has a classical feel. ‘I suppose it’s quite Titian-esque but with a more modern spin. Society doesn’t permit me to paint people in togas, unfortunately,’ he says. ‘I’m inspired by the range and variety of the work I do. One minute I’m in Afghanistan painting in watchtowers at dawn, and the next the dean of Winchester University is sitting for a portrait. I think strength, whether personal or physical, is quite beautiful.’ Hugh tells me the he has also received several commissions to depict the officers’ mess, which leads us onto one of his more controversial works that hangs in the Naval
and Military Club in St James’s of officers having fun. ‘In the army art world, the level of scandal is very different from the Turner Prize,’ he leans in with a smile. ‘I might be considered a bit old-fashioned by most people’s standards, but I’m avant-garde and controversial within army circles,’ he laughs. ‘I’m almost too hot to handle.’ (jhlb.co.uk)
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Ekaterina Zakharova One of The Old Gas Works’ newest arrivals, Ekaterina Zakharova has been based at her studio for a year. ‘I adore the location and the light and space,’ she tells me. Ekaterina’s work revolves around still-life paintings. Traditionally, the medium of fruit and flowers, her depictions bring a sense of life and light to the formal medium. ‘My style has always been traditional and classical, but I am now in the process of moving away from still life to painting people. I am surrounded by things that inspire me, in particular the contrast between life here in London and in Moscow.’ (zakharovafineart.com)
Salute to Style
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05/06/2014 10:25
FULHAM Residents’ Journal
5 minutes with
Lesley Dabson
The Fulham Residents’ Journal catches up with a local painter to talk about her love of boats and her favourite summer exhibition: Not the Royal Academy
W
hether highlighted in alongside other paintings by Whistler luminous yellow, scrawled in and Pissarro. When a work has been capitals or circled in red pen, rejected by the RA, the artist can take the words: ‘visit the Royal the piece along to Llewellyn Alexander Academy Summer Show’ will be visible in and the gallery will either accept or the diaries of art lovers across the capital. reject the work on the spot. Unlike the The world’s largest open entry exhibition, Royal Academy, there is no charge for and one of the most prestigious, it has submission and no wait for the result, sustained and built on its reputation for which means no nail-biting moments! almost 250 years. For the 800 lucky artists whose work FRJ: Can you tell us a bit about has made it onto the walls at Burlington your background? House this summer, however, spare a LD: I did a BA (Hons) in graphic design thought for the hundreds more who in the early 1980s. I chose to do graphics didn’t make the cut. Local painter Lesley against the advice of my foundation year Dabson was one of them. Fortunately for tutor who recommended fine art, but at 19 I Lesley, the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery in was concerned about making a viable living Waterloo hosts an open exhibition of its as a fine artist. I came back to fine art in own entitled Not the Royal Academy. Now 2008 and attended a course on painting in in its 24th year, the show does what it says oils at the Macbeth Centre in Hammersmith. on the tin by offering rejected RA After a term I really got going and Summer Exhibition artists a joined the St Albans Art Society second chance to exhibit and The Society of Fulham DID YOU their work in London, and Artists and Potters. My first KNOW? Lesley’s coastal scenes entry at the St Albans Art 8,000 paintings of weathered, wooden Society annual exhibition are submitted to the dinghies bobbing in the won, best in show, and gave Royal Academy Summer harbours of south-west my confidence the boost Exhibition but only England will be displayed it needed. around 800 make it among the patchwork of onto the walls other paintings. FRJ: How would you describe your paintings? Fulham Residents’ Journal: Thanks for LD: My work is realistic and taking the time to talk to us, Lesley. Are you figurative, but not photographic; I like looking forward to exhibiting in the Not the to see the brushstrokes. One of the most Royal Academy show? common comments I hear when people Lesley Dabson: Absolutely! The Not the approach my paintings is, ‘it’s like a Royal Academy exhibition is one of my photograph.’ But as they get nearer they favourite shows. suddenly realise, ‘oh, no it’s not’. Its source of inspiration, the FRJ: What is it about marine scenes that you Parisian Salon find so fascinating? des Refusés, LD: I have always loved the sea and in set an exciting particular the south-west coast where we precedent all used to take family holidays when our boys those years ago. were growing up. I have a small house in St It made famous Ives where I am surrounded by scenes that I work such as want to paint. I’m fascinated by light effects Manet’s Le on water and I love reflections and shadows Déjeuner Sur too. Water itself is quite abstract, but L’herbe, which combined with the detail of the characterful was exhibited wooden boats so abundant in smaller
The White Bo
at
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harbours, I find a focus. For me, the two are complementary and both are beautiful. FRJ: What are you working on at the moment? LD: I’m about to enter some work for another local summer favourite, the Chelsea Art Society annual open art exhibition and I’m currently working on submissions for The Royal Society of Marine Artists’ annual open exhibition at the Mall Galleries, which will be held in Autumn.
For more information about Lesley and her work, visit lesleydabson.co.uk. Not the Royal Academy runs until 16 August at 124126 The Cut, SE1 8LN, 020 7620 1322 (llewellynalexander.com). The gallery is open from 10am to 7.30pm,Tuesday to Saturday
Sea Breeze
Not the Royal Academy
When it comes to its summer exhibition, the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery has taken a leaf out of the Salon des Refusés’ book. Not the Royal Academy is inspired by the renowned exhibition, held in 19th-century Paris to present works rejected by the jury of the official Paris Salon (the art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts). The process is simple: artists rejected by the Royal Academy turn up with their work and are told immediately if they have been successful or not. All the works displayed in the exhibition are for sale and can be taken home straight away, meaning space is freed up for other pieces. Most importantly, paintings are hung for three weeks, after which time they are replaced by other work, which, like any new lick of paint, helps to keep the exhibition catalogue fresh and varied. (nottheroyalacademy.com) Summer Light
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FULHAM Residents’ Journal
Images from left to right / Black & White by David Pilgrim; Nocturnal Lights by Paul Bennett; Drawn Medium by David Rees
Home is where the art
is
Dabbling in a spot of art collecting can be a difficult business. Emma Moir of Box Galleries shares her top tips for making the savviest investments
B
idding at auction can be a nail-biting experience. As the auctioneer’s gavel falls with a resounding thwack, doubt can begin to creep in. Is the carefully wrapped abstract canvas now stashed in the boot of your car the daubings of the next Tracey Emin; or the jars of formaldehyde animal organs, are they the handiwork of a Damien Hirst protégé? Art collecting is big business, after all, and it pays to get it right. While doing some homework is always beneficial, acquiring an investment piece or two isn’t reserved for retired Christie’s staff or those with an encyclopaedic knowledge of art history: anyone can give it a go. A Van Gogh might be just a tad out of most people’s price bracket, but the
work of emerging artists is a great way to start a collection without subjecting your bank balance to too much of a battering. Local residents hoping for a little inspiration need look no further than Box Galleries, which represents accessible and original contemporary artists from its King’s Road base. ‘Having had successful careers as art dealers, working for some of the biggest galleries in the art world, we saw a gap in the market for specialising in bringing together recognised investment artworks with emerging talent,’ co-founder Emma Moir explains. Together with her colleague Cordelia de Freitas, the pair have access to artworks by some of the biggest names in the art world, from Andy Warhol to Banksy. They present these recognisable works alongside compositions by talented up-
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Left / Cordelia de Freitas and Emma Moir
We saw a gap in the market for specialising in bringing together recognised investment artworks with emerging talent
1
Love your artwork
2
Know what is popular
3
Emerging versus established artists
‘When putting together a collection, people often ask me whether they should opt for work they like or work that they think will increase in value. It depends on your reasons for buying an artwork, but I suggest going for something you love. Having said that, we do get clients who buy an artwork and don’t even unwrap it as they are buying purely for investment purposes.’
-and-coming artists. Box Galleries strives to bridge the gap between the novice and the experienced investor, creating an environment where both feel welcome. ‘It is easy in any profession to be pigeonholed, and I think galleries have either traditionally chosen to focus on investment or emerging artists. For us, we want our clients to feel that the gallery is approachable; where you won’t feel intimidated or need to know a lot about art,’ Emma assures. ‘At the same time we want collectors to feel that they can receive knowledgeable advice on their current collection as well as informed judgements on market trends, auction houses and the secondary market.’ As with every investment, an element of risk can never be eradicated, but that is half of the thrill. ‘We started Box Galleries as a pop-up gallery to adapt to the economic climate and because we found it more exciting to keep moving, although we are now based on the King’s Road indefinitely. Different artworks sell in different locations and we enjoy tailoring the exhibitions according to where we are popping up,’ Emma enthuses. As art dealers, it is the team’s job to provide well-rounded knowledge on where that artist stands in the market as a whole. Factual information, such as auction house results, should also help people to make the best choices. But if you have consulted the catalogues and are still at a loss about how best to invest, Emma has the answers...
‘We are finding that iconic artwork is selling well at the moment. Russell Young’s diamond-dusted pieces of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Muhammad Ali and Coco Chanel are being snapped up. We have also seen an increasing demand for strong abstract work, not just for the home, but for offices and hotels as well.’
‘The advantage of established artists is that if there is already a secondary market then your chances of re-selling are higher and essentially easier. The benefit of an emerging artist is that if you pick the right one and they become more and more popular, then your scope for investment could be huge, but this would normally take more time. With emerging artists, we look for a unique style, consistency and attributes that make an artist’s work instantly recognisable. With better-known artists, it is important to gauge whether their prices will still have potential for high returns in years to come.’
402 King’s Road, SW10 0LJ. To visit the gallery or to book an appointment, contact Emma on 07786 033180 or emma@boxgalleries.com (boxgalleries.com) - 17 -
FULHAM Residents’ Journal
THE ISLAND Have you ever wondered what it would be like to up sticks and move to an island in the middle of nowhere? Fulham author Anthony Stancomb did just that and he has written a book all about his experiences. Lauren Romano meets him
‘I
can still remember the first time I caught a glimpse of Vis on the horizon,’ Anthony Stancomb recalls, sitting opposite me in the café at Nomad Books, espresso cup in hand. ‘It was during the Croatian War of Independence in the early ’90s when my wife Ivana was running her relief convoys – a collection of clapped-out Ford Transits that rattled up and down Europe in various states of disrepair. We had heard much about the island, although it was shrouded in mystery. As a military zone it was closed off and not even Croatians could get there easily,’ he adds. ‘After the war we had an urge to go and explore there. It was fascinating; it was like travelling back 50 years to when I was a boy.’ Nostalgia took hold, and that was that: the ramshackle fishing village bobbing on the Adriatic had stolen his heart. It is more than a decade ago since Anthony left behind his hugely successful art distribution business based off the New King’s Road and set sail into the sunset to his happy ever after – or so he hoped. As it transpired, when he and Ivana came ashore at Vis, the island and its inhabitants didn’t exactly welcome them with open arms. It soon turned out that the idyllic isle
Anthony wi
th his wife
Ivana
came with its fair share of family feuds, adulterers, local Mafiosi and terrifying octogenarians sitting on steely sentry duty on their doorsteps. Not the peace and quiet they had hoped for, but nonetheless Anthony soon realised that he had plenty of material to write his debut memoirs, and Under A Croatian Sun swiftly took shape. ‘For a tiny island, Vis is ripe with juicy stories,’ he confesses with glee. ‘Everything happens there, although we haven’t had a murder,’ he raises a cautionary eyebrow. ‘Yet.’ ‘On the island, the residents don’t even like the people in the next village, so no wonder we stuck out like a sore thumb,’ he chuckles with the benefit of hindsight. ‘We tried to do all these different things to blend in, but it was very difficult.’ So, what do you do when you are an outsider desperately trying to fit in, apart from bending over backwards to help grannies with their shopping? You start Croatia’s first cricket team. In an ironic twist, Anthony soon discovered that the island had strong historical links with England, particularly in the sporting arena; - 18 -
Nelson’s navy had occupied the island and played cricket there for years. Keen to revive the game, Anthony canvassed support from his fellow islanders, and helped recruit a team. ‘I had no idea about the cricket until I arrived. I was reading a book about the Napoleonic wars and discovered that the crew used to play cricket on the monastery lawn. At first we were worried that we wouldn’t be able to recruit enough people. Now the team is really rather good,’ he beams. Returning the sport to the island seems to have done the trick. Twelve years on, Anthony and Ivana continue to live six months of the year on Vis before returning to Fulham for the winter. But does Anthony pine for the home comforts of SW6 when he is abroad? Not really. ‘Radio 4 is actually what I miss the most. We come back for the winter because the island sort of shuts down. When we return in May we are ambushed with gossip: “So-and-so has robbed the garden centre, what’s-his-face has just got out of prison and don’t get me started on what she’s done”,’ he recounts with the relish of a raconteur hungry for new material. ‘It was a bit strange at first turning my hand to writing,’ Anthony admits. ‘Apart from scribbling art reviews for my business, I hadn’t really picked up a pen since college. But anyone can write a book – in fact, I’m trying to encourage more people to do so. There are stories to tell wherever
Anyone can write a book – in fact, I’m trying to encourage more people to do so you live even if you move to somewhere like Hertfordshire. You learn about human nature wherever you go.’ As we reach the end of our meeting, Anthony confides that he has actually nearly finished his third book. Is he worried that he’ll run out of material based on such a tiny island? ‘Absolutely not. You think everything is quiet and then someone’s parrot dies and the owner accuses someone else of poisoning it,’ he laughs. ‘I could write six more.’ Under A Croatian Sun by Anthony Stancomb (John Blake Publishing), £7.99, is available at Nomad Books, 781 Fulham Road, SW6 5HA, 020 7736 4000 (nomadbooks.co.uk) - 19 -
Surviving island life some extracts from Under A Croatian Sun… Watch out for erratic drivers: ‘We had to jump smartly sideways to avoid being run over by a Lada pickup driven backwards at speed by a wildhaired man with the inane grin on his face of Keith Moon driving a RollsRoyce towards a swimming pool. Until, with a sickening crunch, his trajectory was halted by an iron gangplank. This brought shouts of abuse from the deckhands, but the driver clearly had a talent for living in the moment, and continued to grin around seemingly unconcerned about the damage he’d caused to his van.’
Learn the market etiquette: ‘There was no queuing; people just elbowed their way in, squeezing tomatoes, prodding lettuces, sniffing melons, snapping carrots and complaining loudly when they came across anything substandard. The stallholders gave back as good as they got with raucous references to the miserly habits of the customer and the last two generations of their family.’
Respect your elders: ‘We could hear the women calling out across the streets to each other in that strident sound of women over the age of sixty around the Mediterranean. It’s like the caw of a crow or the squawk of a parrot, and at full decibel it can knife you through your eardrum and judder up your spine… Grandma Klakic began her summer reign of terror by sitting by her doorstep in her carpet slippers with her stockings rolled halfway down her legs. A solid block of black-clad belligerence, she sat like Jabba the Hutt emanating a dark energy, and, like her Star Wars doppelganger, she’d shoot out a malevolent croak at anyone who was foolish enough to pass by without giving her appropriate salutation.’ Sound like your sort of read? Pop down to Nomad Books to pick up your copy
A nurturing environment for learning and development 344-346 Fulham Palace Road, Fulham, SW6 6HT T: 020 7381 9523 E: palace@cranbrooknursery.co.uk
FULHAM Residents’ Journal
THE BEACH
beckons
The Fulham Residents’ Journal asked the team at Nomad Books to recommend a selection of this summer’s most worthy page-turners perfect for a spot of poolside escapism the murder mystery
the thriller
Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey The only thing standing in the way of solving a 70-year-old crime is 82-yearold protagonist Maud who suffers from dementia. As Maud tries to piece together fragmented memories the reader is drawn deeper into the search for her missing friend. A poignant tale about the nature of memory and how it comes to define who we are.
The Forgiven by Lawrence Osborne David and Jo Henniger are on their way to a party in the middle of the dessert. As darkness descends and the pair inevitably end up lost, an argument ensues just as two men spring up at the side of the road. When the car collides with one of the men, David and Jo must face up to the consequences of their actions.
the high-society scandal
the memoir
Gossip by Beth Gutcheon Secrets simmer to the surface in this fast-paced account of female friendship. Loviah French’s two oldest friends, outspoken columnist Dinah and art dealer Avis have a long-standing dislike of each other. When a wedding threatens to shatter the pretence of civility between the old enemies, Loviah, the confidant of both, looks set to lose the most.
the unconventional rom com
Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life by Nina Stibbe You wouldn’t expect a collection of letters written by a nanny to brim with comic anecdotes, but in the hands of 20-year-old Nina Stibbe, day-to-day life in the household of Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books, and her sons is a laugh a minute.
the tear-jerker
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion Geneticist Don Tillman has never been on a second date so he decides to develop a highly comprehensive compatibility test: The Wife Project. His mission to find a compatible spouse, however, is thrown out of orbit by the totally unsuitable Rosie, who throws his life into chaos. A laugh-out-loud, heartwarming read.
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini When Abdullah, his beloved sister Pari and their father Saboor journey across the desert to Kabul, little do they know what awaits them. Hosseini’s latest novel demonstrates how one fateful choice can have far-reaching repercussions. Keep the tissues on standby.
All available at Nomad Books, 781 Fulham Road, SW6 5HA, 020 7736 4000 (nomadbooks.co.uk)
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FULHAM Residents’ Journal
Sweet like a
rose
Lauren Romano meets Lucy Stratton, the founder of The Rose Cake Company whose beautifully-crafted creations look almost too good to eat
F
orget spinning classes or navy Sealstyle suspension training, baker Lucy Stratton has discovered a more effective way to work out in her kitchen on Wandsworth Bridge Road. Rather than digging out the dumbbells, the founder of The Rose Cake Company (with the burgeoning biceps to prove it) has resorted to rolling out layer upon layer of fondant icing. ‘Fondant rollers are all the rage,’ she laughs as she brings me up to speed with the technical gadgetry flooding the sweettoothed market. ‘I first saw them on the cake-themed reality show Cake Boss,’ she tells me (Yes, such a TV programme exists over in the States). I might be the burnt cake baking wonder of south-west London but personally I’d find a cake-shaped palette knife or a refrigeratable rolling pin more useful. Somebody has already beaten me to both of those; apparently Delia has a “cake lifter” and a “stay-cool rolling pin”. Lucy intercepts my disappointment. ‘But the fondant roller, you mark my words, they will be on the next series of The Great British
Bake Off. Mary Berry will already have her eye on them.’ The latest baking fads aside, Lucy prefers to perform all her technical wizardry by hand, creating bespoke occasion cakes to suit any requirement. From classic wedding tiers, cascading with delicate, hand-crafted petals to the bright, rainbow-adorned My Little Pony-themed birthday cake, she has the sweet spectrum covered. ‘I don’t have a shop; I offer a personal touch with all my cakes created at my house from the best quality ingredients,’ she tells me with an excited glint in her eye. Behind her accomplished baker veneer lurks the eagerness of a child poised on a stool ready to lick the mixing bowl. ‘I’ve always had a sweet tooth. I’m one of four girls and we all love to bake, so perhaps it was inevitable that I ended up doing this,’ she says. After fitting in cake decorating courses at The Squires Kitchen School to hone her technical skills while working as a PA, Lucy went for the plunge and launched her own company. ‘Officially, The Rose Cake Company has been going
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Left / Portrait of Lucy Stratton by Tommy Clarke Photography Above / Cake images by Simon Brown Photography
since April, but I have been preparing for this for three years,’ she confides. ‘My family used to live in London before we moved to Wiltshire. My sister’s first home after university was on Wandsworth Bridge Road. When I was younger I always thought that Fulham was the place you lived when you were a grown up, so here I am.’ With her base up-and-running, Lucy combines traditional flavours and fillings with contemporary designs to produce striking creations. Several of her most intricate themes revolve around flowers, hence the name of the company. When it comes to design, Lucy is open to all ideas. ‘The only restriction is your own imagination,’ she tells me. Each cake is made to order and Lucy encourages her clients to meet her for a consultation and a tasting to discuss flavours, fillings and inspiration. Once the baking stage is complete the decorating fun can begin. ‘I disappear into my own head when I’m sitting making sugar flowers. I find it very therapeutic,’ she says. Flashbacks of collapsed carrot cakes and scones burnt to charred cinders spring to mind as I ask Lucy what makes a good baker. ‘I have cold hands,’ she ventures. I imagine patience plays a part too and I’m not wrong. ‘I recently made a 14-inch birthday cake and
I had to hand-deliver it. It was so big I had to sit cradling it on my knee in the taxi and then walk with it, held out in front of me, up two flights of stairs. It was decorated with five kilograms of marzipan so it was hefty too.’ No doubt the fondant-rolling toned arms came in handy. ‘It can be difficult sometimes,’ she admits diplomatically, adding that those days are few and far between. Lucy clearly loves her craft. As we conclude, she talks animatedly about heading home for a weekend of cake experimentation, including trying out
I disappear into my own head when I’m sitting making sugar flowers wheat and dairy-free recipes and playing around with decorations for the fun of it. Her passion for baking is infectious. Taking her lead, I leave cooking up a new baking/fitness regime in my head and wondering how hard fondant icing actually is to master. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? To find out more about The Rose Cake Company’s bespoke service, and to enquire about orders and pricing, contact Lucy on 07920 583 005 or email: info@therosecakecompany.com - 23 -
FULHAM Residents’ Journal
Dinner
a show
Jennifer Mason visits the educational and entertaining Avenue Cookery School
A
fter five minutes in the spotless kitchen at the Avenue Cookery School I can already tell that I’m in for a riotous afternoon of cooking and chuckling. Chefs Diana Horsford and Fran Parsons are preparing for the latest instalment of their popular lunchtime Cookery Club course – a twohour session focusing on different aspects of catering basics – perfect for those looking to brush up on their culinary skills. Although the Cookery Club is a handsoff course, the school run plenty of other classes where you can get stuck in and practise your skills. Among the most popular are one and two week courses for school leavers and undergraduates, which not only teach basic cookery skills, but also a range of other essential ‘life hacks’ – engine maintenance and ironing techniques to name a few. Duo Diana and Fran have plenty of experience under their belts. Diana taught for seven years at The Grange Cookery School in Somerset before joining Avenue Cookery School, and Fran spent her winters working in Courchevel for top chalet companies and her summers cooking on super yachts in the Mediterranean prior to earning a First Class Diploma in Food
and Wine from Leiths and an Advanced Certificate in Wine. Sitting in front of their demonstration workspace (at the front of the class, no less) I feel as though my culinary repertoire is about to get an overhaul. Attendees will learn how to prepare the perfect dinner party in advance; meaning that, on the big day, you can spend all your time playing host or hostess, Diana assures us. On the menu today are Piedmont peppers, salmon en croute, cheese soufflés and hazelnut and raspberry roulade – not to mention Diana’s tomato soup and signature fresh loaf which she’ll be serving up for lunch. I enjoy cooking, but despite
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that, at first glance these recipes seem a little out of my league. When I voice this opinion, Diana declares it nonsense, and goes on to prove it. As she works through each of the dishes, pausing to crack jokes and answer questions, the process of producing a soufflé that actually rises is demystified, and I begin to believe that I too could roll an acceptable meringue roulade. Recipe instructions
I feel as though my culinary repertoire is about to get an overhaul are coupled with handy hints; safe and quick methods of chopping vegetables, refrigerator shortcuts – and even a sure-fire way to rid your hands of that garlic smell. I’ll give you a clue; it involves groping a tap. As the class comes to a close, we enjoy bowls of tangy tomato soup accompanied by Diana’s incredible bread. It acts as perfect fuel to keep us energised through
the fork-fighting that ensues when portions of today’s class menu appear on the table for us to sample. Blink and you’ll miss them: these dishes are so delectable that in moments only the tiniest morsels remain. I miss my chance at the Piedmont peppers but quickly learn from my mistake; nobody is getting in the way of me tasting the hazelnut and raspberry roulade. I am rewarded with a bite that is everything it should be: sweet, crumbly and sticky. My sweet tooth rejoices. Looking back on what I’ve just learned, do I feel a renewed vim to try something new in the kitchen? Unquestionably. I leave the class with a plethora of new recipes, a full stomach and a smile on my face. The school offers a range of options, from evening sessions and one-day classes to one or two week courses. Prices start from £60 per day, contact: The Avenue Cookery School, The Mission Hall Walkers Place, SW15 1PP, 020 8788 3025 (theavenuecookeryschool.com)
RECIPE
Diana’s delicious bread Ingredients • 600g white flour • 46g salt • 700g malt flour • 900ml warm water • 1 large heaped tbsp soft brown sugar • 2 sachets of easy blend yeast Method 1. Pre-heat the oven to 50°C/100°F. 2. Oil and flour two large bread tins. Dissolve the sugar in the water. Mix the flour, salt and yeast together, then add the water to form dough. 3. Divide into two, and put into the bread tins. Put to rise in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes. 4. Once risen, take out of the oven. Turn the heat up to 200°C/400°F then bake the bread for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the tins, then return to the oven for 10-15 minutes until hollow sounding. 5. Cool on a rack.
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Style
Salute to London’s new and exclusive classic car event, Salute to Style, is taking place at The Hurlingham Club from 16 to 19 July
T
he historic Hurlingham Club is the driving force behind London’s new classic car event, Salute to Style, taking place this July. Set up in partnership with well-known car veteran Michael Scott, founder of the 96 Club and the International Guild of Specialist Engineers, the three-day summer celebration will showcase an exclusive mix of classic cars and modern super sportscars, with areas dedicated to showcasing the very best of automotive style and engineering. Among the stunning cars on display will be the Lightning V8 GT, created by the founder of the Ronart Company Arthur Wolstenholme, and the Rocket, produced by F1 and McLaren designer Gordon Murray. There will also be a recreation of a Le Mans pit populated with original classic racers, which will no doubt thrill adrenaline-fuelled guests. The Hurlingham Club has long been considered one of Britain’s most prestigious private members’ clubs and home to various other notable events including the Louis Vuitton Concours d’Elegance classic car show, so it was therefore the ideal venue to host this elegant summer garden party. Opening the occasion will be a Frenchinspired Bastille Day Ball on the evening of Wednesday 16 July, which will include a sumptuous three-course dinner with wine and accompanying music, dancing and entertainment all promising a certain joie de vivre.
This theme will continue throughout the course of the event, with the beautiful grounds of the Hurlingham Club being transformed into a lavish French fair, featuring authentic food and drink, art exhibitions and fashion boutiques, as well as traditional French pastimes to keep guests entertained. Salute to Style promises to bring a certain je ne sais quoi to our fair capital, being the first summer show in London to celebrate design, creativity and craftsmanship in motoring history. Open to all car enthusiasts and stylish Londoners alike, it is an event not to be missed this summer.
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Salute to Style
The three-day event starts on Thursday 17 July. VIP tickets are available on 17 and 18 July, and general admission tickets from 17-19 July. Members and guests can purchase tickets to attend the show and there are opportunities for exhibitors and for sponsorship of the event. To find out more about purchasing tickets for Salute to Style and the Bastille Day Ball on Wednesday 16 July, please visit hurlinghamclub. org.uk/salutetostyle
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FULHAM Residents’ Journal
health & beauty The Journal trials local beauty hotspots
REVIEW
Fresh faced Lauren Romano revitalises her visage with a visit to Phillipa Benson’s Beauty Retreat
W
ord of mouth is a powerful thing, especially when it comes to choosing a beauty therapist. So when a friend sent me off to see Phillipa Benson for, in her words, ‘the best facial you’ll ever have,’ I didn’t need much persuading to hunt down her treatment rooms. The ringing endorsement of one of Phillipa’s longest-standing clients didn’t disappoint. Tucked upstairs behind an inconspicuous doorway, Phillipa’s realm is an intimate nook of calm among the many busy crannies of Fulham Road. Hot and bothered after my brisk walk from Fulham Broadway tube station under the glare of the midday sun, Phillipa quickly shows me the treatment bed. Snuggled under a fleecy towel with soothing music playing throughout the room, I exhale a sigh of relief and begin to unwind. For the next 90 minutes Phillipa’s hands get to work performing the indulgent Hydradermie by Guinot facial. The relaxing deep cleansing ritual re-oxygenates the skin, helping to
increase cellular regeneration and create an all-round glow. While most people seem to lap up the languishing silence on offer at the beauticians and the constant chit-chat at the hairdressers, I am the opposite. I prefer my hairdressers silent and my beauticians loquacious. There’s something so awkward about a therapist standing over you, peering and prodding your face in total silence. Thankfully, Phillipa seems happy to talk as she cleanses my face with a range of Guinot products. She explains that the Hydradermie treatment involves deep penetration below the skin surface resulting in a more radiant appearance. After the brief scientific low-down, an exfoliator is vigorously rubbed over my face in circular motion. With a smoother canvas to work on, Phillipa applies a gel before rolling a micro-current emitting probe over the top. The barely-detectable pulses activate and open my pores, drawing the gel deep under the skin where it reacts beneath the epidermis and draws impurities to the surface. The surprising painless extraction - 29 -
that follows eradicates the rogue blackheads from my nose. Next, a piece of gauze is draped over my face and another rollerball probe is applied, this time emitting a high-pitched buzz as it passes above my skin, closing the pores post-cleanse and eliminating any bacteria left on the surface in the process. With all the electrical gadgetry stored away, a number of lotions are slathered onto my skin before a beautifully-scented mask and a massage follow. As Phillipa works her magic, sweeping her fingers from my face to the stubborn knots in my shoulders in a choreographed routine of touch and movement, I begin to drift off. When I am eventually roused sometime later, the face which greets me in the mirror has a luminous sheen and barely-there pores. As a friend passed on the recommendation to me, I think it’s only fair I spread the word: if it’s a facial you’re after, Phillipa Benson’s your woman. 186 Fulham Road, SW10 9PN, 020 7351 4166
FULHAM Residents’ Journal
residents’ culture A forum for residents’ daily concerns and activities
Galloping ahead are synonymous with the best of British tradition and our precision, pomp and ceremony. Not surprisingly, these spectacular performances are the culmination of hours of grooming and polishing, months of mounted band practice and repeated dawn rehearsals for horses and riders in Hyde Park. But what many tourists do not realise is that the troopers on duty at Horse Guards are first and foremost real soldiers, who have seen active service on operations all around the world. Some visitors even think that the troopers are actors, or so they say when they arrive at The Household Cavalry Museum. The regiment’s museum is in Image / © Cedric Weber / Shutterstock.com Whitehall, in the ceremonial heart of London, and a stone’s throw Emma Thompson reports on the Fulham multimedia from Trafalgar Square. Opened by the Queen in 2007, newly updated company that has brought The Household Cavalry exhibits explore the regiment’s history Museum to life and tradition, and the life of the ast month, the Household bus or the black taxi. modern-day soldier. Most unusually, Cavalry Mounted Regiment’s With their distinctive red and blue the design has integrated working busy summer schedule uniforms (red for the Life Guards stables into the museum space so kicked off in earnest with the and blue for the Blues and Royals), that visitors can see (and smell!) the State Opening of Parliament, quickly shiny helmets and highly-polished troopers and their horses preparing followed by the Queen’s birthday leather boots, the soldiers, known for, or returning from, the daily parade. Also known as Trooping the as troopers, Changing of the Guard on Colour, this was a highlight of Horse Guards Parade just in the regiment’s ceremonial front of the museum. season. Four mounted Last summer, the regiment divisions escorted the approached Fulham-based sovereign and performed a mobile media specialist perfect march-past on Horse imagineear to help illustrate Guards Parade. High-profile its celebrated story and public events like these, as well enhance the existing as formal visits by foreign heads museum displays. As experts of state, royal weddings and state in creating immersive visitor funerals, are televised around experiences for museums t ou g in awford try r James Cr the world and make the regiment and visitor attractions, pe oo Tr d an ael Taylor ooper Mich as recognisable a part of iconic imagineear gladly Image / Tr ia guide ed the multim London as the red routemaster rose to the challenge.
L
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Managing director Clare Cooper Hammond explains, ‘Our brief was to communicate both the ceremonial and operational roles of the soldiers and to enrich the existing museum exhibition displays, but at the same time we wanted to capture the essence of this celebrated regiment.’ From heroic escapades at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, to incredible acts of bravery in Afghanistan, the Household Cavalry Regiment has seen frontline action in an astonishing number of wars and conflicts. To record the regiment’s first-hand experiences of events as varied as the devastating Hyde Park bombings and the war in Iraq, imagineear interviewed serving and former soldiers, officers and regimental historians alike. This fascinating history is now safely in the regimental archives, but much of it has been woven into the multimedia guide. The imagineear guide is available in French, German, Spanish and Italian as well as English and has been in operation since last month. It is available to every visitor with an entry
The soldiers, known as troopers, are synonymous with the best of British tradition ticket, and is proving very popular with the museum’s local and international visitors. Martin Westwood, museum director, comments: ‘We are delighted to be able to offer visitors a multimedia guide. The Household Cavalry Regiment has so many stories to share. The guide has allowed us to bring these to life and to illustrate the wide variety of roles that Household Cavalry soldiers carry out in addition to the ceremonial duties that are famous the world over.’ All profits from the museum go to the Household Cavalry Foundation, which supports soldiers, casualties, veterans, families and horses of the Household Cavalry Regiment. For more information visit householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk or imagineear.com
Club culture Jennifer Davenport gives the low-down on the Hammers Ladies’ impressive rugby season
T
he past month has seen the culmination of a momentous season for the Hammersmith and Fulham Ladies RFC. Following its undefeated 2012-2013 league season, the first XV were promoted into Championship South East 2, just two tiers below women’s rugby’s premiership. The Hammers’ first game in its new league was a bruising 20-0 loss to eventual table toppers Blackheath Ladies RFC. Whilst instantly aware of how difficult the new opposition would be, the Hammers took heart from a resilient team effort and never-give-up attitude. The added commitment and intensity that followed was quickly rewarded with a 50-5 victory over Richmond Ladies 3rd XV. And so the first XV’s season continued with a mixture of resounding victories and narrow defeats, seeing Hammers finish a comfortable fourth out of eight in Championship South East 2, 13 points ahead of fifth. Having consolidated its league position, the Hammersmith and Fulham Ladies eyed success in the Intermediate Cup. Following hard-fought yet thoroughly deserved victories against Hampstead and Shelford, the Hammers’ run was cut agonisingly short by Henley Ladies RFC (a team in the league above) which scored a match-winning try in the dying seconds of the game to dump the Hammers out of the cup. Another highlight of the season for the Fulham club has been the overwhelming success of its newly formed 2nd XV squad which, having easily won every match in its development league, will be promoted next season. The end of April saw the XV’s season draw to a close with the annual Hammersmith and Fulham RFC dinner dance where numerous members of the Ladies’ squad were honoured for their services to the club, including vice captain Laura Kruczek (Club Woman of the Year), Debbie Suen (Most Improved Player) and Leah Williams (Player of the Year) as well as the side’s invaluable coaching team, Scott Standing and Mark Lewis. Finally, the perfect end of a fantastic season was achieved on Saturday 17 May when the Hammers Ladies won the inaugural Griffin Cup, a competition aimed at promoting and developing women’s rugby within the south-east region. After such a successful season, the Hammersmith and Fulham Ladies couldn’t be more excited about what the 2014-15 season will hold. (fulhamrugby.co.uk)
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FULHAM Residents’ Journal
planning & development Structural changes in the area
Putney Bridge vehicle ban Putney Bridge is closing to vehicles on Monday 14 July for a period of three months while Wandsworth Council carry out essential maintenance works. Pedestrians and cyclists may still use the bridge, and bus services will operate from either end, however, bus passengers who wish to continue their journey over the bridge will have to walk across it. The works have been planned to coincide with the school holidays in the hope that the amount of disruption will be kept to a minimum. They have also been organised around the Wimbledon Tennis Championships for the same reason. The closure was initially due to be six months long, but a revised schedule predicted that the work could be completed in half that time.
Planning applications DATE REGISTERED: 8 June ADDRESS: Homestead Road PROPOSAL: Erection of a rear extension at second floor, on top of the existing back addition. DATE REGISTERED: 12 June ADDRESS: New King’s Road PROPOSAL: Excavation under the footprint of existing building for the creation of a basement car park with associated car lift. DATE REGISTERED: 10 June ADDRESS: Colehill Lane PROPOSAL: Erection of single storey rear extension, to the side and rear of the existing addition.
Planned roadworks and closures in and around July STREET
PLANNED WORK
DATES
WORKS OWNER
Fulham Palace Road Clancarty Road
Strengthening pier base of flyover including excavation work into lane 1 of road Installation and replacement of a link box
Until 27 August
Transport for London 0845 305 1234 UKPN East & Lon LTD 0800 028 4587
Althea Street
Alter and relay domestic service 4m from main in nearside carriageway Excavating footway for new supply scheme
10-16 July
Bagley's Lane
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30 June-11 July
3-9 July
National Grid Gas plc 0845 605 6677 UKPN East & Lon LTD 0800 028 4587
FULHAM Residents’ Journal
property watch Experts share their invaluable knowledge and shine a light on local property news
Rising
rentals
Knight Frank lettings manager Nicola Miller reports on the local rental market
Record breaker: this house on Chipstead Street was recently let by Knight Frank for £3,150 per week
A
t Knight Frank’s Parsons Green office, lettings are on the rise. Recently top rental prices were achieved in two of Fulham’s most sought-after pockets. ‘We have just let a six-bedroom house in the Peterborough Estate on Chipstead Street with a guide price of £3,150 a week,’ lettings manager Nicola Miller reveals. ‘Meanwhile over in Bishop’s Park we achieved £3,000 a week for a beautiful, 4,500 sq ft family house that had previously been on the sales market. We managed to let offmarket,’ she adds, confidently. This movement of properties from the sales market over to lettings appears to be a growing trend in houses above £3 million. Increasingly potential buyers are starting to question purchasing at the top of the market and want to take a step back and wait and see what happens. As
a result, a number of houses are still on the market, prompting owners to consider renting as a profitable alternative and then wait for the best end price. ‘Lettings will continue to stay strong for the rest of the summer,’ Nicola predicts. ‘The sales market has been so hot over the last six months but now things are definitely slowing down as buyers consider their options. The uncertainity of the elections next year is also playing a part.’ Nicola’s current concern is the lack of available properties in the competitive summer market. The demand for family homes is currently approaching its peak as parents look to settle their children before the start of the new school term. The Peterborough Estate, with its large homes continues to be popular, but families are also turning to Bishop’s Park for the bigger gardens on offer - 34 -
there. ‘The demand for one and two-bedroom flats will then follow in August and September when the professionals and graduates arrive,’ Nicola explains. Attitudes towards Fulham continue to evolve. No longer playing second fiddle to neighbouring South Kensington and Chelsea, SW6 is attracting tenants in its own right. ‘Parsons Green has a certain charm that is highly sought after,’ Nicola says. ‘It is no longer seen as a destination on the outskirts of central London. In fact, there is a certain prestige attached to living on the Peterborough Estate.’ This is encouraging the migration of European tenants to the area. The French have long made their presence felt but, perhaps more surprisingly, Nicola and the team have noticed a growing number of Americans choosing Fulham as the place to settle their families or moving from Chelsea. To meet the demands of the increasing number of people looking to live in the area, Nicola is hopeful that the next few months will see more stock from the sales market coming over to lettings. ‘If you can’t sell at the price you want to now, my advice would be to rent for 18 months and then put yourself back on the sales market in January 2016. Traditionally January to March is the strongest time for the Fulham sales market, after the bonuses have come through. It’s a case of biding your time, and seeing letting as a strong option.’ 203 New Kings Road, SW6 4SR 020 7751 2407 (knightfrank.com)
the directory Whether whim or wish, all of the essentials are taken care of in our round up for harmonious living
ESTATE AGENTS Knight Frank 203 New King’s Road 020 7751 2400
Haus Properties 99 Wandsworth Bridge Road 020 7751 0400
Marsh & Parsons 105 Moore Park Road 020 7736 9822 and 333 Fulham Palace Road 020 7993 9888
Strutt & Parker 701 Fulham Road 020 7731 7100
Martin & Co 94 Wandsworth Bridge Road 020 7731 2756
Savills 191 New King’s Road 020 7731 9400 and 423 Fulham Palace Road 020 7578 9050
Winkworths Fulham and Parsons Green 40 New King’s Road 020 7731 3388 fulham@winkworths.co.uk Chesterton Humberts ‘Three offices – one great postcode’ 78 New Kings Road 020 7731 4448
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
Natasha Coote 173 New King’s Road 020 7371 7526
HEALTH & BEAUTY BEAUTY
Space NK 205 New Kings Road 020 7736 6728
fitness
Virgin Active Fulham Pools, Normand Park, Lillie Road 0845 270 9124 (enquiries) 020 7471 0450 (members)
barber
Crew Experience 911 Fulham Road 020 3010 1096
hair salon Gina Conway 612 Fulham Road 020 7731 7633
dentist
The Fulham Dentist 9 Salisbury Pavement, Dawes Road 020 7385 8366
pharmacy Palace Pharmacy 331 Fulham Palace Road 020 7736 3034
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spa Mermaid Maternity Retreat 234a Kings Road 020 7199 3220 (mermaid.co.uk)
FULHAM Residents’ Journal
HOME antiques A&L Antiques 284 Lillie Road 020 7610 2694
Nimmo & Spooner 277 Lillie Road 020 7385 2724
architects
Hogarth Architects Ltd 186 Dawes Road 020 7381 3409 Barroll Webber Architects Unit 8H Michael Road 020 7731 3094
galleries
Piers Feetham Gallery 475 Fulham Road 020 7381 3031 Albert Williams Gallery 723 Fulham Road 020 7731 4883 Roman Black Gallery 600 Fulham Road 020 7731 3318
Collins & Hastie 62 Tournay Road 020 7381 4957
Frances Hunt 227 Lillie Road 020 7385 5282
Trowbridge Gallery 555 King’s Road 020 7371 8733
Living Space 53-55 Fulham High Street 020 7731 1180
finishing touches Artbeat (framer) 703 Fulham Road 020 7736 0337 House Couturier (curtains and blinds) 285 New King’s Road 020 7371 9255 Cologne & Cotton (linen) 791 Fulham Road 020 7736 9261 The Candle Shop 50 New King’s Road 020 7736 0740
furniture Blue Lemon 160 Munster Road 020 7610 9464
Dressy Rooms 279 New King’s Road 07900 625123 Joseph Whitaker 44b Aspenlea Road 020 7835 6946 Five Nine Four 594 King’s Road 020 7736 6778 The Furniture Shop 349 Lillie Road 020 7381 9399 Homes In Heaven 72 New King’s Road 020 7736 2227
interior design Alice Leigh Design 12 Parkville Road 07801 823953 (aliceleigh.co.uk) Joanna Grigson Interior Design The Mews, Harwood Road 07803 008 514 B Lowe 10 Atalanta Street 020 7381 9207 Fiona Campbell Ltd 259 New King’s Road 020 7731 3861
WOOD FLOORING Bembé UK Ltd ‘German craft since 1780.’ 315-317 New King’s Road 020 7371 9090
Leigh Harmer Foscarini 13 Wyfold Road 020 7381 0031
food & drink greengrocer
restaurants
bakery
cafÉs
pubs
The Rose Pub 1 Harwood Terrace 020 7731 1832
Fabrella Eating House 786 Fulham Road 0871 971 7654
bars
Pottery Café 735 Fulham Road 020 7736 2157
The Rylston 197 Lillie Road 020 7381 0910
Mao Tai 58 New King’s Road 020 7731 2520
Kosmospol 138 Fulham Road 020 7373 6368
The Hurlingham 360 Wandsworth Bridge Rd 020 7610 9816
Vingt-Quatre 325 Fulham Road 020 7376 7224
Pots & Co 133 Munster Road 020 7384 0133
Brasserie de l’Auberge 268 Fulham Road 020 7352 1859
Well Bread 383 North End Road 020 7385 7474
Kona Kai 515 Fulham Road 020 7385 9991
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Drawing Room Café Fulham Palace, Bishop’s Ave 020 7736 3233
hotels b&b
Fulham Thames Walk B&B 91 Langthorne Street 020 7381 0198
boutique
La Reserve Hotel 422-428 Fulham Road 020 7385 8561
guest house
Fulham Guest House 55 Wandsworth Bridge Rd 020 7731 1662
luxury
Millennium & Copthorne Stamford Bridge, Fulham Rd 020 7565 1400
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
Sinclair House School 159 Munster Road 020 7736 9182
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
The London Oratory School Seagrave Road 020 7385 0102
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
The Moat School Bishop’s Avenue 020 7610 9018
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
Thomas’s Fulham Hugon Road 020 7751 8200
essentials builder William Gaze Ltd. Basement, Loft and Extension Specialist 28 Imperial Square 020 7078 8874 (williamgazeltd.com)
childcare
Fulham Nannies 69 Stephendale Road 020 7736 8289
library
Fulham Library 598 Fulham Road 020 8753 3879
post office
Fulham Road Post Office 815 Fulham Road
plumber
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)
doctors
The Fulham Medical Centre 446 Fulham Road 020 7385 6001
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
printing
Paramount Press Ltd 129 Munster Road 020 7731 0900 - 37 -
stationer
Perry’s 777 Fulham Road 020 7736 7225
travel
The Ultimate Travel Co. 25-27 Vanston Place 020 7386 4646
KnightFrank.co.uk
Bowerdean Street, Fulham SW6 A substantial five/six bedroom house
Located in the sought after Peterborough Estate, in Parsons Green. 5/6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, double reception room, large family kitchen with dining area leading out onto a patio garden, media room/playroom, utility room. EPC rating C. Approximately 273.31 sq m (2,942 sq ft) Available unfurnished Guide price: ÂŁ2,300 per week (FLQ198667)
KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings fulhamlettings@knightfrank.com 020 7751 2410
KnightFrank.co.uk
Chipstead Street, Fulham SW6
A four bedroom town house on the Peterborough Estate A well-presented property benefiting from a lovely terrace which overlooks the lower patio. 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, double reception room, kitchen/dining room, utility room, terrace, patio. EPC rating B. Approximately 175.2 sq m (1,886 sq ft) Available furnished Guide price: ÂŁ1,395 per week (FLQ198839)
KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings fulhamlettings@knightfrank.com 020 7751 2410
KnightFrank.co.uk
Rivermead Court, Fulham SW6 Three bedroom corner flat
A newly refurbished second floor flat which has a contemporary feel whilst retaining the generous proportions associated with a corner flat in this popular, portered block with private parking close to the Hurlingham Club. Three bedrooms, bathroom, reception room, kitchen/dining room, guest shower room, utility room, communal gardens, parking, 24 hour porters. EPC rating D. Approximately 143.7 sq m (1,547 sq ft) Share of Freehold Guide price: ÂŁ1,700,000 (FLQ198667)
KnightFrank.co.uk/fulham fulham@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6475
KnightFrank.co.uk
Finlay Street, Fulham SW6 Near Bishops Park
A substantial end of terrace family house offering balanced living and bedroom space and generous sized garden, presented in very good order and within the Bishops Park conservation area known as the ‘Alphabet’ streets. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, 5 further bedrooms, bathroom, shower room, reception room, kitchen/dining room, family room, gym, guest WC, utility room, garden. EPC rating C. Approximately 305.8 sq m (3,292 sq ft) Freehold Guide price: £2,999,950 (FLQ198839)
KnightFrank.co.uk/fulham fulham@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6475
KnightFrank.co.uk
Overstrand Mansions, Battersea Park SW11 Newly decorated flat on Price of Wales Drive
A stunning flat designed and finished to exacting standards on Battersea Park’s finest road. Facing the beautiful, manicured gardens of the park, with views towards Chelsea. 2 bedrooms, reception room, bathroom, eat in kitchen, park facing, completely renovated, porter. EPC rating E. Approximately 78 sq m (850 sq ft) Share of Freehold Guide price: £1,100,000 (RVR341489)
KnightFrank.co.uk/battersea battersea@knightfrank.com 020 3597 7670
KnightFrank.co.uk
Clapham Common West Side, SW4 Wonderful green views
A family house on a private cul-de-sac with far reaching views across Clapham Common, off street parking and a south west facing garden. 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms (2 en suite), 3 reception rooms, kitchen/dining/family room, utility room, upstairs/downstairs cloakroom, off street parking, southwest facing garden. EPC rating D. Approximately 329 sq m (3,541 sq ft) Freehold Guide price: ÂŁ3,350,000 (WND120229)
KnightFrank.co.uk/wandsworth wandsworth@knightfrank.com 020 7768 0993
savills.co.uk
1 AN EXCEPTIONAL EXTENDED HOUSE IN THE HEART OF PARSONS GREEN studdridge street, sw6 Double reception room ø family room ø kitchen/dining room ø master bedroom suite ø 4 further bedrooms ø 2 further bathrooms ø cloakroom ø utility room ø garden ø 211 sq m (2,271 sq ft) ø EPC=C Guide £2.7 million Freehold
Savills Fulham Sebastian Hipwood shipwood@savills.com
020 7731 9420
savills.co.uk
LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY
1
A SUPERB FAMILY HOUSE SITUATED ON THE CHELSEA/FULHAM BORDERS holmead road, sw6 5 bedrooms ø reception room with wood floors ø modern kitchen ø 3 bathrooms ø patio garden ø 171 sq m (1,840 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=E ø EPC=E
Savills Fulham Emma Kenwrick-Piercy ekpiercy@savills.com
020 7731 2692 Unfurnished £1,400 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.
savills.co.uk
LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY
1
STUNNING APARTMEMT SITUATED IN PARSONS GREEN new kings road, sw6 Double bedroom with fitted wardrobes ø modern bathroom ø open plan reception room/dining room ø kitchen ø 35 sq m (374 sq ft) ø Council Tax=D ø EPC=C
Savills Fulham Lucy Hutchinson lhutchinson@savills.com
020 7731 2692 Furnished £365 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.
savills.co.uk
LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY
1
SPACIOUS FAMILY HOME WITH A PATIO GARDEN archel road, w14 Double reception room ø eat-in kitchen ø 3 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms (1 en suite) ø private garden ø utility room ø guest w.c ø extensive storage throughout ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=D
Savills Fulham - Bishops Park Kate Rotheram krotheram@savills.com
020 7578 9051
£795 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.
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!)
Doneraile Street SW6 £3,999,950 Located moments from the beautiful Bishops Park, this end-of-terrace six-bedroom family house has undergone a complete programme of refurbishment. The well-balanced accommodation is arranged over four oors with an abundance of natural light throughout and comes complete with a ten year BLP insurance backed building guarantee, all the modern technology you would expect as well as a beautiful south facing garden. Freehold. EPC=C. Joint Sole Agent.
BISHOPS PARK: 020 7993 9888 sales.bis@marshandparsons.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter: @marshandparsons
Join us on Facebook: facebook.com/marshandparsons
Visit our YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/marshandparsons
SALES
See all of our properties online: marshandparsons.co.uk
Moore Park Road SW6 £3,795,000 Located in the heart of the Moore Park Estate on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, this wonderful five-bedroom mid-terraced house has been sympathetically refurbished throughout to provide elegant, well-balanced accommodation. The entertaining space comprises a double reception room, a bright study with views over gardens, a guest cloakroom and an extended, hand finished kitchen/dining room with concertina doors leading out to a lovely south facing garden. Freehold. EPC=C. Sole Agents.
FULHAM: 020 7736 9822 sales.ful@marshandparsons.co.uk
Local know-how. Better results. Askew Road
Battersea
Camden
Earls Court
Hammersmith
Little Venice
Notting Hill
Balham
Bishops Park
Chelsea
East Sheen
Holland Park
Marylebone
Pimlico & Westminster
Barnes
Brook Green
Clapham
Fulham
Kensington
North Kensington
South Kensington
Lilyville Road SW6 £2,750,000 This wider than average six-bedroom semi-detached house provides impressive lateral accommodation over three floors and is presented in excellent condition throughout. Retaining many of its original features, the ground level includes an attractive entrance hallway and a large kitchen opening out to the conservatory and through to a spacious double reception/dining room. Benefits include excellent storage throughout, a deep cellar and a private patio garden. Freehold. EPC=E. Joint Sole Agent.
FULHAM: 020 7736 9822 sales.ful@marshandparsons.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter: @marshandparsons
Join us on Facebook: facebook.com/marshandparsons
Visit our YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/marshandparsons
SALES
See all of our properties online: marshandparsons.co.uk
Kingwood Road SW6 £1,650,000 Having undergone a full programme of meticulous refurbishment by the current owner, this four-bedroom family home is presented in stunning condition throughout. The property boasts an elegant reception room with solid oak flooring and an incredible kitchen/dining area leading out to a beautiful decked garden. The upper floors boast a wonderful master bedroom with contemporary en suite shower room, three further double bedrooms (one with access to a decked terrace) and two bathrooms. Freehold. EPC=D. 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!)
Winchendon Road SW6 £1,700 per week This stunning property has undergone a complete refurbishment and now offers wider than average accommodation over three floors. The house comprises an elegant bay windowed reception room, a large open plan kitchen with concertina doors leading onto a west facing patio garden. The upper floors include a superb master suite complete with walk-in wardrobe and en suite bathroom, three further double bedrooms (one en suite), a fifth bedroom/office and a family bathroom.
FULHAM: 020 7736 9822 lets.ful@marshandparsons.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter: @marshandparsons
Join us on Facebook: facebook.com/marshandparsons
Visit our YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/marshandparsons
LETTINGS
See all of our properties online: marshandparsons.co.uk
Bloom Park Road SW6 £795 per week This beautiful and immaculately presented four-bedroom family house comprises a double reception room and a modern eat-in kitchen with concertina doors leading out to a private patio garden. The upper oors include a utility area, four good size double bedrooms, two with en suite bath/shower rooms as well as a family bathroom. Conveniently located close to Parsons Green tube and the many local restaurants, shops and amenities. EPC=D
BISHOPS PARK: 020 7993 9888 lets.bis@marshandparsons.co.uk
Nous parlons Français (We speak French).
Clancarty Road
£845 per week
Wardo Avenue Four Bedrooms
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£1,100pw
Tournay Road Six Bedrooms
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• Excellent family house • Double reception room with dining space • Separate kitchen • Beautiful lawned garden • Three double and a further single bedroom • Two bathrooms • Popular road alongside the affluent Peterborough Estate • Moments from Ecole Marie d’Orliac, green spaces of South Park and Parsons Green
£1,100pw
Cranbury Road, Bury Triangle £1,650,000 Superb Victorian family house Highly desirable Bury Triangle area of SW6 Tastefully decorated Open plan feel throughout Basement with contemporary style kitchen Separate dining room Two en-suite bathrooms and a master en-suite with dressing room Roof terrace Substantial garden
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SO
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Record price achieved
Townmead Road, Sands End Three Bedrooms
•
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LD
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Record price achieved
£1,100,000
Chaldon Road Two Bedroom Maisonette
•
£650,000
94 Wandsworth Bridge Road Fulham London SW6 2TF t: 020 773 12 756 e: fulham@martinco.com www.martincofulham.co.uk
Stephendale Road, SW6
ÂŁ850,000 Road, Fulham, SW6 Waterford
ÂŁ2,250,000 Sold This awesome- property has style splashed all over it. The current owners of this great, two bedroom split level maisonette have a serious eye for interior design and quality. They obviously love their home and have absolutely nailed the finish. An outstanding freehold house situated on the exclusive Moore Park Estate, just off the New Kings Road. Having undergone a meticulous and immaculate refurbishment, the internal accommodation is well designed and planned accommodation is spread over four equally impressive floors.
PR RO OP PE ER RT T II E ES S P HausProperty_12x12FP_BG.indd 1
020 7751 0400 hellofulham@hausproperties.co.uk www.hausproperties.co.uk
facebook.com/HausProperties twitter.com/HausProperties #HausProperties
11/09/2012 15
Farm Lane, SW6
£750 Per week Waterford Road, Fulham, SW6
£2,250,000 Sold A thoroughly -individual and particularly stylish, three bedroom split level flat in one of Fulham’s most sought after residential locations, equidistant from West Brompton & Fulham Broadway. Uber homely, the excellent accommodation is mostly lateral- making An outstanding freehold house situated on the exclusive Moore Park Estate, just off the New Kings Road. the already generous 1225 sq ft feel even more spacious. Having undergone a meticulous and immaculate refurbishment, the internal accommodation is well designed and planned accommodation is spread over four equally impressive floors.
PROPERTIES HausProperty_12x12FP_BG.indd 1
020 7751 0400 hellofulham@hausproperties.co.uk www.hausproperties.co.uk
facebook.com/HausProperties twitter.com/HausProperties #HausProperties
11/09/2012 1
FULHAM Residents’ Journal
property watch Experts share their invaluable knowledge and shine a light on local property news
A different
approach
Martin & Co has carved out a niche in the sophisticated Fulham lettings market and sales are going from strength to strength too, as director Joseph Bitar explains
‘W
hen it comes to letting property in Fulham, chances are Martin & Co is involved somewhere along the line. ‘We have clients across the financial spectrum and at every level we always look to provide excellent value for money. A significant reason for our growth to date is due to referrals and recommendations from satisfied clients,’ Joseph begins. Since arriving in SW6, the estate agency has taken the lettings market by storm, establishing the firm among the leading players in the family house sector. Now the sales team is following suit. ‘We might be best known as a lettings agency, but we are specialists in sales too,’ Joseph continues. The facts about Martin & Co speak for themselves. The growing agency has just shy of 200 branches nationwide, with highly pro-active individuals at the helm leading formidable and successful teams. What is the secret of Martin & Co’s success in Fulham? Joseph sets the scene. ‘We all know that London is one of the world’s greatest cities but people come to Fulham to find the perfect balance of village atmosphere versus busy urban life. The fact that you can sit at a café sipping coffee while watching the world go by without the
constant sound of sirens or a steady stream of traffic, makes SW6 an appealing destination. I just love this area and being part of a multilingual, locally-based team means that we know Fulham inside out.’ Martin & Co understands the factors that make the Fulham housing stock popular at every price point. ‘It might be an architectural detail, proximity to transport links, a school catchment area, or nightlife; we will know why your property stands out to a particular set of buyers. If we see that your property has been on the market for a while and we have a potentially interested party, we will come to you. It’s this proactive approach that’s taken us from new kid on the block to having a fantastic first year.’ This year, sales have been strong but Joseph’s team are gradually noticing that things are starting to cool down a notch, with some buyers being a tad less bullish when offering. Senior sales negotiator Jacqueline Nicholls comments: ‘House prices have increased by a staggering 13 per cent in Fulham over the last year, making it a real London hot-spot; sellers want to achieve record prices for their properties. The best property is always in demand and will always command the best possible price.’ - 58 -
The SW6 postcode retains greater value for money than the surrounding areas of South Kensington and Chelsea. And the well-established attraction of Fulham for the French community shows no sign of ending anytime soon, with the proximity of excellent local French schools underpinning this. Joseph, himself a French national, has already housed many French clients and can assure both buyers and tenants from across the Channel in their own language that they will be in good hands with him and his team. With record prices still rising fast and a lack of stock currently on the market what advice can Martin & Co offer its clients? ‘Be realistic and if you are looking to move, sell now,’ Joseph advises. ‘There is no time like the present. There is no guarantee of what the market will be doing in six months’ time – the current climate remains favourable, but things could change.’ And when Fulham residents decide to make the leap to pastures new, Joseph and his approachable and experienced team will be waiting to seal the deal. 94 Wandsworth Bridge Road, SW6 2TF, 020 7731 2756 (martinco.com)
• Due to the phenomenal success of our first phase, we’ve now released phase two • An exquisite collection of new homes set in a backdrop of a 33-acre ancient woodland
Superb specification. Simply stunning.
CRANLEIGH
Bookhurst Road GU6 7DP 3, 4, 5 & 6 bedroom detached homes A JOINT VENTURE DEVELOPMENT
• Perfectly nestled on the outskirts of the quintessential English village of Cranleigh
New releases now launched
Marketing Suite and Show Home open daily 10am – 5pm
0844 543 0717
lindenhomes.co.uk/swallowhurst
Photographs show homes at Swallowhurst. Interiors may include optional upgrades or extras available at additional cost. Details correct at time of going to press.
facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker
struttandparker.com
Marville Road, SW6
A bright and well presented three bedroom Victorian terraced family house.
ÂŁ1,695,000 Freehold
1,518 sq ft (136 sq mt) EPC Rating E Drawing room | Kitchen | Dining room | Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and walk in wardrobe | Two further bedrooms | Shower room | Upstairs cloakroom | Paved garden | Roof terrace
Fulham Sales 020 7731 7100
Barclay.macfarlane@struttandpaker.com
Parkville Road, SW6
An exceptional architecturally designed house close to Parsons Green.
ÂŁ1,700,000 Freehold
1,466 sq ft (136 sq mt) EPC Rating E Kitchen/dining room | Drawing room | Master bedroom with en suite shower room | Three further bedrooms | Further bathroom | Cloakroom | Paved garden
Fulham Sales 020 7730 7100
Barclay.macfarlane@struttandpaker.com
facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker
struttandparker.com
Niton Street, SW6
An absolutely stunning two double bedroom split level flat that has been lovingly refurbished throughout.
£550 per week*
1,184 sq ft (11 sq mt) EPC Rating D Reception room | Kitchen/dining room | Master bedroom with ensuite shower room | Further double bedroom | Further family bathroom | Garden
Fulham Lettings 020 7731 7100 Fulham.lettings@struttandparker.com *The following Tenant charges may apply prior to tenancy commencement: Tenancy Agreement £210 (inc VAT) Credit References per application £54 (inc VAT). All advertised prices are excluded and other associated services.