BELGRAVIA Resident’s Journal APRIL 2015 I SSU E 033
The Belgravia Residents’ Journal is published independently by Runwild Media Group with regular editorial contributions from The Belgravia Residents’ Association. To become a member of the BRA, visit www.belgraviaresidents.org.uk. We would highly value any feedback you wish to email us with: belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk; or telephone us on 020 7987 4320.
w w w. R e s i d e n t s J o u r n a l . c o . u k (020) 7987 4320
Dear Resident
,
With the budget decisions made, the general election looming and the seat of Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, becoming available next, the Belgravia Residents’ Journal has a lot to talk about this issue. Henry Hopwood-Phillips had the pleasure of meeting one of the speculated mayoral candidates, Ivan Massow. He talks about his colourful life, coming out in the public eye and what he would do if he was in Boris’ position next year, read on from page six. Meanwhile, Henry reads between the lines to find out what the three main political parties are proposing in their education strategies, turn to page 18 for more information. Elsewhere, it’s sometimes the little details that count; we round up some of life’s luxuries. From weekend-away accessories to intricate jewellery, cufflinks to statement watches, discover extravagant buys in the local area, from page 10. And, this summer, don’t forget man’s best friend, by attending Belgravia’s very own canine cocktail party, flick to page 22 to find out more. Please do not hesitate to get in contact with all your news and updates by emailing belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk. Alternatively, tweet us @thebelgravian. We hope you enjoy the issue.
Managing Editor Francesca Lee Main Editorial Contributor Henry Hopwood-Phillips Editorial Assistant Jennifer Mason Editorial Intern Elizabeth Sersta Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood
Managing Director Eren Ellwood Senior Designer Sophie Blain Production Hugo Wheatley Alex Powell Oscar Viney Alice Ford
Publishing Director Giles Ellwood General Manager Fiona Fenwick Executive Director Sophie Roberts Client Relationship Manager Friday Dalrymple Business Development Manager Nicola Bloomfield
Above / Covent Garden Epiphany by Norman Long, The Osbourne Studio Gallery, flick to page 15 to find out more (osg.uk.com)
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The Notebook
Who and what have been moving and shaking in Belgravia recently? We bring you up-to-date
Dream with Knight & McQueen
Following the opening of Savage Beauty at the Victoria & Albert Museum, SHOWstudio presents hypnotic works by Nick Knight, to celebrate his numerous collaborations and strong bond with fashion designer Alexander McQueen. The exhibition features Knight’s genius prints inspired by McQueen’s collections printed large scale and shown together for the first time. Top off your experience with the Unseen McQueen series released for the first time on SHOWstudio’s online site, showcasing unique photo-shoot footage and interviews from Nick Knight’s archive. Free, Until 5 June, Nick Knight & Alexander McQueen, SHOWstudio Shop, 19 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8LB (showstudio.com) Both images: Courtesy of Nick Knight and SHOWstudio
Shadowlands
This April, the Eleven gallery is presenting new work by painter Natasha Kissell and photographer Gina Soden in an exhibition called Falls the Shadow. It’s a reference to a famous T. S. Eliot poem that observed ‘Between the idea, and the reality, between the motion, and the act, falls the shadow’. Kissell explores the ideas of transcendence and timelessness we invest in our buildings, with fairly melancholy results. Soden’s photographs are more playful and influenced by what functions we want from space. 1 April – 1 May, Eleven Gallery, 11 Eccleston Street, SW1W 9LX, 020 7823 5540 (elevenfineart.com) Left: Natasha Kissell, Falls the Shadow
Trufflevision
Serving everything from tartare of fassone beef with quail eggs and fresh truffle, to truffle Martinis, a new truffle lounge, called Tartufi & Friends is opening on the lowerground floor of Harrods. It is a big name in truffle land, with flagships in Paris and Rome, a status it has achieved mostly by its trumpeting of those most prestigious of foods: white and black truffles. If you cannot get enough truffle go to Tartufi. Truffle, truffle, truffle. (tartufiandfriends.it), (harrods.com)
Farmyard friends
Carina Haslam established her gallery 12 years ago in Great Missenden, Bucks, and is always on the look-out for ‘original, accessible and affordable’ quality. Some already have earned critical success, others the promise of a bright future. The latest she is proud to showcase, Elliot Channer, falls into the latter category and will be one of the young stars of the show at Chelsea Art Fair this year. Go along to see how he makes bronze capture the character of some of our most loved animals. 16-19 April, entry £6, Chelsea Art Fair (chelseaartfair.org) (elliottchanner.co.uk)
The female artist
Inspired by the great number of exhibitions devoted to women artists being showcased this year, Grace Belgravia invites you to join them in a discussion called From Delaunay To Dumas: The Emergence Of The Female Artist. The talk will happen in a relaxed manner, over lunch, and will cover the struggle and fight for the artistic forefront of such powerful female artists as Sonia Delaunay, Marlene Dumas, Mrs Diego Rivera (Frida Kahlo) and Mrs Jackson Pollock (Lee Krasner). £75 , 22 April , 12noon-2.30pm, Grace Belgravia, 11c West Halkin Street, London SW1X 8JL, 020 7235 8900 (gracebelgravia.com)
Best of both worlds
Healthy rarely sits anywhere near delicious on the palate, but this is exactly what Detox Kitchen, launching at Harvey Nichols, aspires to achieve. As well as being free from wheat, dairy and refined sugar, each prepared meal (available for delivery) packs a nutritional punch and, more importantly, a guilt-free pleasure. Those who want to see what the secret is should look out for a cookbook being launched on 7 May. (detoxkitchen.co.uk) (harveynichols.com)
A coco a rebirth
World-renowned super-chef Alain Ducasse has been busy creating the perfect Easter egg for the Bulgari Hotel. Using his own chocolate, La Manufacture de Chocolat from the first and only bar factory in Paris to create the 75 per cent dark chocolate, his layered design is inspired by shaping clay on a potter’s wheel. The result is hollow, though filled with various, chocolates and pralines shaped as fish, which is a very traditional Christian symbol: the Greek word for fish (ichtus) works as an acrostic for Jesus Christ. He’ll launch it at the Bulgari 1-6 April with a price tag of £45, so keep a lookout. Bulgari Hotel & Residences 171 Knightsbridge, London SW7 1DW (bulgarihotels.com)
Doorstep beauty
Ruuby, a local beauty bookings app, is now ready to download. In just a couple of taps, users are able to book appointments (including to their own homes) and access Ruuby’s little black book of beauty. Its founder, 26-year-old Venetia Archer, identified a gap in the market after repeatedly ringing salons in an attempt to land a last-minute blow-dry or nail appointment. ‘In a world where you can request sold out Jay-Z tickets in 30 seconds, it seemed natural that beauty services should follow,’ she explained. (ruuby.com)
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Photo by Sarel Jansen
The real-life
candidate Having led a life more colourful than the most implausible soap star, Ivan Massow talks to Henry Hopwood-Phillips about why he’s ready to get serious and succeed Boris Johnson as Mayor of London
POLITICS
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ondon mayoral candidate Ivan Massow seems like a real guy; not the most sexy of descriptions, admittedly, but in the age of the Spock-lite politician it’s a powerful card. He also looks real. Though he’s wearing the ubiquitous open-necked shirt, the London mayoral candidate comes across less like the sandblasted goblin of the Blairite and Cameronian yesteryear than a wizened salt-and-pepper-haired pin-up. The post has relatively limited formal powers but its appeal has, perhaps paradoxically, up until now, been restricted to the megalomania of Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. So having a candidate who appears so regular feels slightly anti-climactic, even incongruous… But, of course, Ivan isn’t terribly normal. The menagerie, from dogs at knee-height up to parrots above (singing a medley of welcomes and threats as I bound through his Bloomsbury door) hints at this. Raised near Brighton, he admits to being an ‘instinctive’ Tory ‘despite a politically tribal narrative that might insist my “natural” position is on the left’ due to an early ‘street urchin’ existence that included dyslexia, adoption and homosexuality. I cannot remember what qualifications I left Brighton with,’ his eyes glint, ‘because I’ve had to fib so much about that period in the past – but I think I left school with one O-level.’ Clearly, his life trajectory wasn’t a conventional one – with a launch pad of qualifications – but Ivan was a man with an idea. ‘I found a niche in the market by making sure gays weren’t financially penalised in the financial products that they were offered.’ Millions of pounds soon flowed into his coffers. ‘I was so happy proving to teachers, parents and friends that I was worth something, that I wasn’t a dead-end,’ he beams. That particular high, however, closed when he lost a lawsuit to a firm he had accused of failing to uphold his ethics. A period of alcoholism followed and spanned a time of self-exile in Barcelona, a sad hiatus that nevertheless ended with a fairy-tale rescue by none other than Joan Collins – ‘who by the way, insists on being named the godmother of my child,’ he adds excitedly. The controversy didn’t end with the alcohol intake though. Never shirking the right to hold real opinions, he recollects being ‘forced to resign as chairman of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) after observing that much of conceptual art is “craftless tat”.’ Looking to pick himself up, Ivan jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire, throwing his hat into the mayoral ring at the end of last year. The first shot across the bows came from Mark Wallace at Conservative Home, describing Ivan as an ‘unconvincing candidate’, a man who seemed destined to be little more than a careerist and ‘loose cannon’. ‘I understand why he said that,’ Ivan comments humbly, ‘so I set things straight by inviting his editor to interview me.’ The follow-up makes for interesting reading, and captures Ivan’s tone well. It’s a mischievous tenor that flirts with gravity and comedy simultaneously – it is apparent that he is sensitive to the lightness and heaviness of both life and the task he has set himself. Another accusation is that what Ivan sells as ‘bluesky thinking’ amounts to little more than headline-chasing. Policies aimed at housing the homeless in City Hall and naming a prison after himself on ‘Boris Island’ seem to add
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noise rather than solutions to a city that proffers itself as one of the few ‘world capitals’. ‘That’s not fair,’ he protests, giving the example of a volunteer transport brigade that would potentially stop London from coming to a halt on strike days. ‘I set out a poll on a website that attracted large numbers of voters. In the end, more than 40 per cent said they would participate if such a scheme materialised, which I thought was rather impressive.’ Other statistics don’t look so rosy. YouGov published a poll at the end of 2014, claiming Ivan’s recognition in London hovers around the nine per cent mark. It’s a superior presence to other Conservative hopefuls, but also undoubtedly worse than the Labour big guns such as Tessa Jowell and Sadiq Khan. This has caused consternation within the party; some have voiced concerns that they need a bigger name – Zac Goldsmith is often touted – a person Boris has made no secret of supporting as a possible heir apparent. The lack of acclaim has perhaps kicked Ivan into making sure his vision is not lacking. He is able, for instance, despite platitudes on his website about
Clearly his life trajectory wasn’t a conventional one ‘embracing modernity’, to articulate the planks of policy in detail. Most of this centres on devolution. He certainly begrudges the fact ‘that the [London] economy generates 22 per cent of the UK’s total wealth yet has less control over its money than either Scotland or Wales’, believing part of tackling this problem should involve setting a London budget and creating a tourism tax. Housing is a bugbear too: ‘I hate how prices are so high that sites become the monopoly of huge developers. They create buildings that few want and often result in the death of local communities.’ Ivan wants firstly, to be able to subsidise small developers, secondly, strip away unnecessary regulation, and thirdly, inject a bout of local democracy into the planning process. Not that he’s in favour of nimbyism; instead he insists it is crazy to build outwards on to green belt land when we could built upwards on our own patches. ‘Whatever we do, the current model where our latest builds are usually less valuable and less popular houses than our older ones is unsustainable and ridiculous.’ Thumbing the table, Ivan notes it ‘usually has a small team of advisers around it’. Discussing what exactly? A book is thrown in my direction with a title drier than sawdust. A Conservative for 33 years, a Londoner for 25, one cannot fail to be impressed by the energy that the silver fox is applying to his candidature. One gets the impression that some in the public realm believe his campaign to be more about energy than sense; a political example of a man on a collision course with a brick wall. Looking back at Ivan’s life, though, it seems the walls have sustained far more damage than his head. (ivan.london)
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SOCIAL MEDIA
The solution
game
A Belgravian firm, Templars Communications, has set up the Social Media Charter. It’s a complicated beast, but it’s also one that’s halfway to changing the world. So The BRJ tries to break the Charter into digestible chunks, with its chief architect Kitty Parry
Who are Templars Communications? We are a financial PR group based in Belgravia. Many agencies create systems and solutions in a reactive manner. We don’t work like that, preferring instead to create a business that anticipates change. What’s your own background? Definitely entrepreneurial. I set up my first business when I was 16, Templars Communications at 27, and the Accelerating Change Network at 27. Have you gained recognition for this? Yes, I was shortlisted for PR Consultant of the Year by the PRCA (Public Relations Consultants Association) in 2009. I regularly go on Radio 4 to talk about regulation and social media and I’m delighted that the World Economic Forum touted me as a Young Global Leader for my work on the Social Media Charter and let me sit on several of the panels to discuss its implementation and effects. What is the Social Media Charter in one sentence? It is a tool that has the capacity to revitalise trust in the financial services industry – social media is a concept which many businesses fail to grasp; all too often it’s seen as a communications platform, and not a business tool.
I know this is big but it sounds a little dry – have you managed to get people excited about it? Yes the House of Lords launched the Charter in December last year. In fact, to support the Charter’s progress, I founded the Responsible Social Media Summit, an annual event there which brings together CEOs and other expertise that will keep the ball rolling. Media-wise, both Bloomberg and the Financial Times have given it coverage. The best, perhaps, was from Forbes though – it described the need for the Social Media Charter as ‘glaring’. Where would you like to go from here? I’d like to see a global conversation taking place for the first time, where the [financial] industry and regulator work proactively together to improve trust. This would enable financial services providers to be able to serve their customers and clients in an increasingly relevant way, uninhibited by compliance and uncertainty. Will the Charter be constrained to financial services? No, not at all. It can be rolled out to almost any industry where a more meaningful social-media relationship with the client is required. Templars Communications, 8 Lower Belgrave Street, SW1W 0LJ, 020 3642 3140 (templars.co.uk)
Was there demand for a Charter? Industry contacts wanted a greater presence on social media but were restricted by compliance issues. We thought it was worth bashing some heads together round a table to see what the obstacles were. Five firms initially participated. They all worked in compliance and risk, digital and media. After a short period, this grew to 15 companies. And the result was the Charter? Yes, our lawyers drafted it. It sets the standards for compliant social media. So all the hard work’s been done? Not really – so although we have the Charter, most firms lack a culture of how to put this into practice and use it. This has led to the creation of a seven stage process that embeds guidance in the firm.
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A girl’s second best friend
People can’t agree what pearls represent – many believe they symbolize tears – let’s hope these sets bring you something a bit cheerier. Yoko London, white pearl necklace (price on request), rose-gold double finger ring (£6,750), multicoloured earrings (£10,500)
animal kingdom bling In general, women love animals, so how can a man ingratiate himself with the fairer sex any more than having a gorgeous set of bounding hares or bold boars hanging from his cuffs. Ray Ward, Hare cufflinks (£285), Boar cufflinks (£6,000)
Local
Luxuries Henry Hopwood-Phillips takes a look at some local indulgences that should help fill that soul-shaped hole...
get-away gear Travelling is a chore. One of its few perks is the exposure you get if you’re looking fabulous. There are few better ways of achieving this aim than picking up a Ray Ward weekend travel bag and, what’s more, picking it up with a pair of cashmere-lined gloves. Ray Ward, travel bag (£360), gloves (£185)
make it simple
flower power The joy of flowers rests deep in the psyche; play on that with this botanical beauty from the official jewellery partner of the British Film Academy Awards. Yoko London, pink ring (£16,500)
The simple Celtic braid on this leaf vintage bracelet is a powerful symbol, far more hard-hitting than many other complex designs. It’s also the perfect accompaniment to this cuff with its marriage of maritime and florid themes. Pat’s, bracelet (£70), cuff (£85)
LOCAL LUXURIES
Stealthy toddy Buy this hunting flask, because you can tell people how much you love keeping the coffee so hot while you’re actually enjoying something a little stronger. Ray Ward, Hunter flask (£45)
The bossom blossom Because nothing says ‘I am the most beautiful person in the room’ quite like having a massive chunk of metal around your neck with half a garden blooming from its broad (but flat) bust. Pat’s, flower necklace (£100) flower earrings (£75)
keep it bold Bomberg: think heavy, think rebellious, think masculine. Don’t look at these guys’ advertising if your wife’s around, it’s provocative stuff. The watches, however, should be to everybody’s taste, but they don’t come at a snip – this tough-looking timepiece weighs in at £895. James Bond this is not, in fact it’s more for the guy who thinks he’s a bit of a Rambo-Rocker beneath the suit; women should buy this for that special guy who has an ego the size of a bus – or the size of this baby’s dial. Bomberg, Bolt 68 Neon watch (£895)
empyreal lobes his & hers If you hate getting soggy in insalubrious weather, why not try this tried-and-tested method of putting extra layers between you and the elements? This Ray Ward field coat, made from tweed and Loden fabric, not to mention the ‘belted biker’, can do that and what’s more do it in a way that inspires imitation. Ray Ward, Loden coat (£845), Belted biker (£855)
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Leo de Vroomen is a god among men in the jewellery business. He is also wellliked among Belgravia’s cognoscenti. So why not buy these earrings that transform the most uninspiring lady into a subject for your poesy. Leo de Vroomen, diamond and champagne ear drops (£12,180)
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The
Belgravian belgravia’s custodians
One of Grosvenor’s bearded helmsmen, Simon Elmer, pores over a map of Belgravia with Henry Hopwood-Phillips
PROFILE
S
imon Elmer looks emphatically different with a beard. I checked out his profile online so I knew who I’d be looking for in the lobby of Grosvenor’s London HQ (on Grosvenor Street, of course), full of oils of the Grosvenor family both past and present, and figured I would be looking for a cuddly, beady-eyed businessman. Now, I’m no big pogonophile but out strides Simon with a face that says more ‘talk show host’ or ‘cheeky pirate’ than anything else, and he’s come bearing, like any good buccaneer, a big map. We roll it out. It is Belgravia. This is my territory. No, wait, it’s his territory, he’s director of North Belgravia, which now includes the Eaton Square portfolio. He’s no tyrant though; Catherine Stevenson is in charge of South Belgravia, so the first thing we do is get the colouring pencils out and scribble from Sloane Square across to Eaton Gate, from Eaton Mews West right across to Hobart Place, leaving out Chester Square. I feel like some sort of Mayfair mafia, carving out some territory for wicked exploits. Simon’s a fan of the eccentricities on his patch. The over-annotated map is testament to this. ‘So, the freeholds have gone here,’ he says, pointing at the churches, ‘they were given over by the estate long ago.’ The manhole covers over there hide air-raid shelters, ‘five foot something high with all the old signage inside.’ Scribbling two little circles in the north-east corner of Eaton Square Gardens (‘six acres of gardens’), he tells how many of the common parts of the properties in the Square use these deep water pumps to alleviate energy use. Above, on the roofs, there are more than 500 solar panels too – ‘that’s the largest number of solar panels on any listed building in the UK,’ Simon notes proudly. The three big projects that Grosvenor is working on locally concern the pantechnicon building, the Halkin Arcade and 1-5 Grosvenor Place. The first is ‘going to be 16,500 square feet of space over four floors, with multilevel retail and probably a restaurant above.’ Behind the pantechnicon building, where the grubby concrete overhang is, the whole area will be landscaped and refurbished immediately after the Motcomb Street party this year. I hope it will be remade into an area that people will want to walk through when they come off Lowndes Street. It’s Kinnerton Street where Simon seems to see the most untapped potential, however. ‘We have Rachel Vosper, Judith Blacklock and great pubs down that way but it would be good to see it on the map more.’ One of the
solutions he proposes is the equivalent of a Columbia Road flower show, ‘something that pulls people in,’ not unlike the farmers’ market down in Orange Square perhaps. Further east, at 1-5 Grosvenor Place, Grosvenor is working with The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited to make a 200-bed hotel, with work hoping to start in the later part of 2016. I tease that the development will step on The Lanesborough’s toes in every sense. ‘Have you ever tried booking a top hotel in central London, Henry?’ Simon replies. It’s a good answer. Grosvenor’s stock is riding high. It received several plaudits for one of its most recent projects, the Beaumont Hotel (W1K 6TF) – mostly because it’s common knowledge that it could have made more money developing the site as apartments. The firm is building a reputation for honouring its much-vaunted ability to ‘placemake’, a process involving preserving and improving sites, making them locations where people would want to ‘live, work and visit’. That’s not to say there aren’t tensions in the village that is Belgravia. ‘Perhaps the highest levels of stress are caused by those who want to develop their houses and those who don’t,’ Simon cautiously observes. Often these decisions reflect a split demographic. Those who don’t develop tend to have lived in their homes for a very long time, whereas those who do develop have just bought and often choose never to live there in any proper sense of the word. ‘Stamp duty hasn’t improved matters either,’ Simon comments, ‘it incentivises staying put and improving the house.’ Eaton Square is the one place Grosvenor feels able, as direct landlords, to manage tenants’ developments and reduce their impact on others. Elsewhere, the mews areas, for example, Grosvenor has an estate management scheme that ameliorates the consequences of works by insisting that particular rights be respected. ‘There is a vision here.’ An über-rich ghetto is ‘the last thing we’d want,’ Simon insists. He acknowledges some of the old guard are leaving and that something is being lost by the newer, more confidential tenant but is adamant that the area’s privacy and security attract positive developments too. As the interview draws to a close, Simon supposes these characteristics play no small role in the fact that ‘more young families have chosen to settle on Eaton Square than at any other time in the previous 10-20 years.’
Simon’s a fan of the eccentricities on his patch
(grosvenor.com)
Illustration / Russ Tudor
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3b Motco mb Street London SW1X 8JU 020 7235 1656 WWW.RACHELWILLSON.CO.UK
ART
Francois-Xavier Trancart
Norman Long
Mind the gap François-Xavier Trancart, co-founder of art merchant website Artsper, and artist Norman Long, a serial BP portrait winner, discuss the difference between creating art and making sales
Finding Themselves In Berkeley Square by Norman Long
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A
rt has historically had a tricky relationship with commerce. It’s often been viewed as a symbol for values that waft higher than the things money represents; a slice of culture that cannot be for sale because more is lost than gained in the transaction; in short, a very Faustian bargain. This is, ultimately, why much of the world’s finest art lies in museums rather than, say, private collectors’ homes. We do not live in such an age though – whether it was one of higher values or deeper hypocrisy we cannot know. Instead, today, students glean an air of culture at university in order to gain greater remuneration; Damien Hirst stands accused of being a businessman more than an artist; in general, the division between the priceless and the price has become permeable, unsteady. ‘My paintings are not valuable to me,’ Norman starts. ‘They are an expression. It is getting the art out of me that matters.’ The artist prioritises the process over the end. ‘Don’t forget that the entire course of a painting, its lengthy development, is often more enjoyable than the first thought, the spark.’ He insists he could never paint if he is bored. François-Xavier is keen to flag the fact that though Norman’s relationship with his own work is important, if he wants any sort of audience he must ensure they connect with it too. ‘People often don’t understand the movements, the artists; simply put, they just don’t know what they’re looking for,’ François-Xavier contends. He paints a picture of an intimidating and empty gallery, brimming with expensive items, where buyers feel that gallery owners might financially punish that ignorance. It’s also a reality that he hopes Artsper will help abolish. ‘Art merchants have a hard job,’ Norman admits. ‘It must be hard to translate the feeling I have invested into a price. I cannot stop working when I have achieved a nice painting, finished with a pleasant colour that I think
somebody might buy. I must go further.’ He seems to be insinuating that markets do not (and perhaps cannot) reflect the attitude, the inner worth of the painter. That’s not to say it won’t try though. Artsper has 5,000 artworks by 700 artists. The website attracts 90,000 visitors every month to the works of 230 partner galleries. ‘The hardest thing when we started in 2013 was less getting the attention than showing people there was demand,’ François-Xavier notes. Sales are now
The artist prioritises the process over the end frequently topping the £20,000 mark, but ‘typing in your credit card details to a relatively unknown website can be daunting, which is why we’ve focused so much on building the brand.’ Talk of brand feels far from Norman who is keen to highlight the fidelity an artist must keep to his or her ‘true voice’. ‘There are so many indefinable things an artist does that they don’t even think about. It’s alchemic,’ he protests, prompting me to ask what some of his oddest habits are. ‘I like to forget my paintings,’ he answers with a cheeky grin. Norman, with as many as 35 paintings on the go, tends to face them towards and against the wall. ‘I forget in order to know what a painting needs when I pick it up again.’ Knowing which works of art to pick up and put down is a big part of François-Xavier too. A committee, including a former French minister for culture, has devised strict criteria for website content, which, summarised
ART Another Day
Just For The Day
Virtualité 12 by Etienne Rey
Banksy - Trolleys
by François-Xavier, ‘must include all types of contemporary art (without sacrificing quality for quantity) but must also reflect all price brackets.’ Here, the language of François-Xavier and Norman starts to diverge. The former begins talking of a brilliant new website ‘interface’, about making sure there’s no ‘lag’, about ‘algorithms’ and ‘filters’. Whilst the latter concerns himself with ‘reinventing’ art each day, keeping himself ‘open to impulses’ that result in his ‘containment’ of hopes and subject matter – watching them slowly, mysteriously elide. Despite the division, a respect is sustained between the two. France has always honoured its painters more than any other nation and Norman is no stranger to an exhibition – of which Artsper seems to be a permanent example. Indeed, the artist admires the fact that Artsper caters for all types of customer in a market which has auction houses and art fairs scooping the cream off the market, leaving the normal galleries bannerless. Norman Long is showing at the Osborne Studio Gallery 21 April – 8 May 2 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8JU 020 7235 9667 (artsper.com) (normanlongartist.com)
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landmarkmedia / Shutterstock.com
Drop of Light / Shutterstock.c
Pedagogy
om
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power
Cornfield / Shutterstock.com
The BRJ shines a spotlight on one of the more sensitive issues of the General Election in May: education...
SITUATION: In 2009, people knew that the era of limitless economic growth was over but few could discern what this meant for universities. A year later, in 2010, with the abolition of teaching subsidies and the shift of the full cost of teaching to students, a little more clarity emerged but the student loan book remained unaffordable. At the moment students begin repayments once pay reaches £21,000 per year. If more money is required it would be easy to raise revenue by dropping that threshold. The can was kicked down the road, however, with the Browne Report, and this procrastination feeds a more general confusion over where the main parties stand on education as the 2015 election looms.
UNIVERSITY: Some policy has emerged – mostly through headlines. Labour has chosen to focus on cutting maximum tuition fees to £6,000 (though without specifying how the lost revenue might be replaced). It is also keen to highlight the needs of the ‘other 50 per cent’ – those not attending university – and has pledged to remove international students from calculations of net immigration. The Conservatives are thinking of uncapped tuition fees, with a view to balancing the student loan book. The Liberal Democrats are making noises about giving universities the right to buy their own student debt as an investment; this is being sold as an incentive for universities to get their graduates into high-paid jobs. UKIP is eager to remove tuition fees for students taking approved degrees in science, medicine, technology, engineering and maths on the condition that they live, work and pay tax in the UK for five years after the completion of their degrees.
EDUCATION
CONSERVATIVES: David Cameron says he wants to ‘see a war on mediocrity’, targeting 3,500 schools ranked as ‘requiring improvement’ by OFSTED. He would pursue this ‘war’ by forcing such schools to become academies with new ‘superheads’ in charge. Meanwhile, Labour is turning against academies and shows signs that it would want to slow the rate of schools converting to academy status. The Green Party would abolish OFSTED, replacing it with a more collaborative system of monitoring school performance. The party feels teachers are ‘teaching to the test’ rather than equipping children with the skills they need.
LABOUR: Ed Miliband stresses that Britain lacks an education system that produces the right sort of skills. He told manufacturers recently that Britain needs almost 160,000 engineers a year but is producing fewer than 75,000. Labour therefore promises to guarantee apprenticeships to school-leavers with the right grades in order to rectify this situation.
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: In the wake of a report by the New Policy Institute that claimed 29 per cent of 19-25 year olds are in poverty and the proportion of young adults in private rented accommodation has risen by 10 points to 37 per cent over the past 10 years, the Liberal Democrats want to attract attention to their pupil premium scheme, which gives schools extra funds for every disadvantaged pupil they take in.
CONCLUSION:
SCHOOLS: On the school front, UKIP will scrap the arbitrary target of 50 per cent of school leavers going to university. The Green Party has vowed to provide free education for all. The Tories are promising to open at least 500 new free schools (approximately 270,000 new school places) in the next parliament, if elected. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, noted that free schools were a huge success story, and that ‘at the heart of all of it is giving parents real choice.’ Labour, perhaps unsurprisingly, disagrees, claiming that it would be right to close the scheme because ‘parents waiting for the results of their children’s primary school applications will be astonished to learn that David Cameron wants to continue funnelling money into areas of surplus school places.’ Of 77 free schools inspected by OFSTED, 18 have been rated outstanding, 23 as requiring improvement or inadequate, and three have been closed or taken over.
B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L
Looking at the bigger picture, Labour wants to ‘protect the overall education budget in real terms’. This contrasts with the Tories who would cut funding by 10 per cent. However, much of the debate misses out a crucial question – what, exactly, is our education system and what are our universities for? Much of the confusion, the fudge, caused is due to this lack of greater vision.
BasPhoto / Shutterstock.com
019
Residents’ Culture Exploring the minutiae of residents’ concerns and encounters
Dear
Auntie Dear Auntie, I regularly host dinner parties. Many of those invited know each other. A couple articulated strong (though not necessarily ‘wrong’) political views at one of these. At dinners since then a set of guests have attempted to ostracise or simply belittle this couple. How should I indicate that this is unwelcome behaviour on the part of the others and that people should be able to hold different views without personal acrimony erupting, but without upsetting this subset further?
Issues ranging from etiquette to depression afflict every area of the world, but not all places have a person as sage as our agony aunt to solve them… If you’d like any of your problems answered, email belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk and we’ll forward on your concerns to Auntie.
Dear Auntie, Two of my best friends who have been married for 15 years have decided to get a divorce, which is a great sadness to us all. However, their children and my children are still great friends but a situation is occurring where it is apparent neither of the feuding pair can be excluded – a family wedding. Do I invite them both and leave them to decide who should come? Or do I take sides and being female ask my counterpart?
Judith
Mrs Hawkins
Dear Judith, Thank you for your letter, which in today’s somewhat fractious and political age does not come as a surprise to me. If your dinner parties are known places for such debate, perhaps it is worth stating that discussions of a political nature will be held and each guest is entitled to their opinion, thoughts and to generate discussions. Surely it is the whole purpose of such debates that opposite opinions occur? I am not entirely sure that I would re-invite guests who belittle others for a political standpoint as I would prefer to have folk around the dining table who are grown up enough to listen to others and grasp the possibly unwelcome fact that their opinion is not empirical. I would suggest you take a tougher stance on how you deal with those who are showing intolerance and possibly rude behaviour.
Dear Mrs Hawkins, It is always a terrible dilemma when one is friends with both sides in a divorce. Whichever way you go will be the wrong way, and for the initial years post a divorce you may well be persona non grata with both as each will see you as a traitor if you lend an ear, or worse, offer advice, thereby taking sides. Weddings are family affairs and my instinct is to invite both people involved, and they either decide to face each other and be civil (which for their children’s sakes alone is the correct behaviour), or they choose between them which one of them attends. Don’t get involved – be Switzerland, neutral.
Yours hopefully, Auntie
Yours in sincerity, Auntie
The views expressed on this page are not held by the Residents’ Journal. The page offers a platform for the voices of our local residents to discuss topics they feel relevant and important.
The Residents’ Association’s
April roundup by head of social & communications Sue Liberman
H
appy Daylight Savings Time! At least now we have the lighter evenings to look forward to. I’ve been thinking of all the things I could have done with those stolen 60 minutes. For example:
• Studied Chinese. Thanks to that stolen hour, now I’ll never know if I’m a natural linguist. • Cleaned my house. I can always blame Daylight Savings for my hoover not seeing any action that day. • Gone to the gym. There’s a first time for everything!
Ok, let’s be serious, considering that the hour we lost was 2am, I would have slept.
News…
The Royal Parks announced it would begin charging members of the public 20p to use most of its toilets this year. The reason behind this decision was to prevent closures and to help towards the ongoing cleaning and maintenance of the facilities. This 20p charge is now in effect. Royal Parks has said it currently costs 1.5million to operate and maintain the toilets and it recognises that, in the face of budget cuts, it has to had to make tough choices about how to use resources. Unfortunately, subsidising the toilets at this level is no longer possible and it was faced with a choice of either closing toilet blocks or introducing a modest charge for their use.
Current issues and concerns…
Numerous residents have contacted the B.R.A with regards to the rumours currently being spread, saying that the B.R.A. has folded and James Wright has walked away from the B.R.A. There is no truth whatsoever in these rumours. The B.R.A. has been in existence for more than 40 years and is still actively helping residents with their issues and concerns. James Wright has been a member of the B.R.A. committee for 20 years and chairman for the past 10 years. Please see the following update from James Wright….
Dear Friends, Some of you are aware that, at our AGM in November, we were not able to conclude elections for the Executive Committee. The purpose of this note is to update you on where we go now within the B.R.A. Since the AGM, we have been giving considerable thought, taken independent legal advice and consulted leading figures in our community on how we move
forward with the unfinished business and the B.R.A itself. The B.R.A has been in existence for more than 40 years and has served our residents faithfully and diligently. We have represented residents’ interests in many areas, such as leasehold reform, traffic issues (including making Buckingham Palace Road two-way and re-configuring Sloane Square) and major developments (such as Chelsea Barracks and Ebury Square). We have provided an influential voice with Westminster City Council, Transport for London, Grosvenor Estates and other key stakeholders in the area. The committee members have all been volunteers, giving their time freely and without reward in the interests of creating a better Belgravia. It has become clear to us that resolving the unfinished business from the AGM involves three important and linked issues that need to be addressed:
• The Constitution: the outcome of the AGM was not foreseen when we drafted the original version of our Constitution. We have since found other areas in it that need clarification. A high priority is to revisit our Constitution and redraft/update where necessary.
• Electing the Executive Committee: associated with reforming the Constitution is the need to elect the Executive Committee.
• Resourcing the appropriate sub-committees with willing volunteers: we are looking to recruit experienced and talented individuals, who are prepared to work together in harmony to carry out their responsibilities to the B.R.A and its members.
We are proposing that we convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), run by an external independent polling company, will administer the voting. It will of course take time to re-draft the Constitution and convene the EGM. In view of this, we thought it would be sensible to consult our members to see if they agree that this is an appropriate way forward, so that the B.R.A can continue its vital and long-standing role in our community. We would like to make a decision on what happens next before Easter. So that we can decide, can you please e-mail or send me any comments you may have: james@jameswright.org.uk In addition, if there’s anything you would like to let us know about, I can be contacted on 07957 420 911 or sue@belgraviaresidents.org.uk
Until next month... belgraviaresidents.org.uk
If you would like to help protect and/or shape the future of Belgravia, please join us by becoming a member. Simply go online and click on the appropriate membership box. In addition, if there’s anything you would like to let us know about, I can be contacted on sue@belgraviaresidents.org.uk
B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L
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A pooch’s
paradise
Universally acknowledged as the source of all worldly canine happiness, Belgravia’s Dog Show is the calendar event of the year for man’s best friend. It’s also very popular with owners so book your ticket now before they run out... Buy tickets from events@bsgc.london
Photos / Erran Stewart Photography
MUSIC
Stretching horizons Henry Hopwood-Phillips fixes his gaze on the Byzantine apse of St Peter’s, Eaton Square, and pins his ears back for an unusual repertoire…
C
arl Muller kicks off the seventeenth season of Eaton Square’s concerts in style with a visit from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has the voice of a pilot; you would trust him in spite of yourself. I sometimes forget that we Belgravians are such a cultured lot; in the audience I spot designer Leo de Vroomen – who knew he wasn’t just a king of bling but also an authority on Chinese instruments? The spring offering is grounded in the late classical composers; we’re talking the likes of Ravel, Rachmaninov, Schumann, Chopin and Shostakovich. Forays further back (to the early music the concerts have received much praise for) is mostly contained in the ‘Stile Antico’ recital in late March. Perhaps that’s not quite true. There is vintage here – it just comes from in and around the Middle Kingdom instead of the middle sea (Mediterranean). Happy Reunion and A Henan Ditty are folk tunes from Inner Mongolia and central China respectively. My favourite, however, is one of the more modern pieces, composed in 1965, the Dance of the Yi Tribe. Performed on a pipa (think of a Chinese lute) – its multiple notes remind one of Alberto Iglesias’ riffs in The Constant Gardener.
I sometimes forget that us Belgravians are a cultured lot It must be said that I feel very inadequate trying to pass any sort of musical comment on these pieces. All I can say is that though I enjoyed them, different civilizations operate by such different schemata that much can be lost in translation. As my ear is trained to units [scales, cadences etc], I found the music either had to pander to awkwardly or ignore at its peril. Much more familiar was Shostakovich’s String Quartet no.7, this is the one devoted to his first wife Nina, a top physicist, who died suddenly of cancer (no.9 was dedicated to his third wife Irina). It’s a short quartet, lasting only 13 minutes, and its key, F sharp minor evokes sorrow and anguish – most famously so as in Mahler’s tenth symphony. The piece goes through several moods (impish, trance-like, cruel, then tranquil) but the overall impression is one of misanthropy, desertion and forsakenness. It leaves one in a funny mood for Ravel’s ‘Une Barque Sur L’ocean’: a piece of arpeggiated sections
B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L
From top: Shiupuiyeebelle, pipa; Rachel Cheung, piano; Chinese Ensemble; Gloucester String Quartet
and melodies which imitate both the chaos and the predictability of the waves. Its score is playful but prone to monotony. I prefer Debussy and Saint-Saëns. Last up, Dohnányi (1877-1960) is a big surprise. I’ve played Kodály and Bartok before, but can’t pretend this Hungarian has ever been on my radar. Even more shockingly, the Piano Quintet No.1 in C minor, Op.1 we listen to was written when the composer was 18. The shadow of Brahms (who, incidentally noted that he ‘could not have written [the music] better myself’) looms long over the piece, but it retains a mature and relaxed nature; and to be brutally honest, a less forced artificiality than the Hamburgian. I would have liked a little more jauntiness and a little less European smoothness but my tastes are spiteful. And that’s what the Eaton Square concerts are about, I guess: revisiting your favourite composers and discovering new ones, not to mention getting jolly over wine with friends in the interval. I can think of worse formulae. (eatonsquareconcerts.org.uk)
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Beauty &Grooming Beauty on your doorstep from Rhea Papanicolaou-Frangista & Farrah Hamid, the experts at Prettly
Aerin, Rose de Grasse
Maison Francis Kurkdjian, À La Rose
Grasse, the French capital of perfumery, is at the heart of this stunning fragrance. We love its musky but feminine scent. It’s also our pick for most beautiful bottle!
Grasse finds its way back into our list with this rich and sweet pick, made from 250 roses from the French region as well as Turkey.
£135 (50ml); available at Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road SW1X 7XL, 020 7730 1234
£145; available at Les Senteurs, 71 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9PJ, 020 7730 2322
Everything’s coming up
Roses The eternal classic is back in the season’s freshest fragrances
No.31, Arquiste for J.Crew
The popular US import has been a hit with Belgravians since its store launched in 2013, and its new ultrafeminine scent uses Bulgarian rose as a key ingredient. Try its sister perfume, No. 57, for something a bit more neutral but equally appealing. £78; available at J. Crew, 171 Draycott Avenue, SW3 3AJ 0800 562 0258
Jo Loves, White Rose & Lemon Leaves About this beautiful new scent, Jo herself says ‘To me, white roses represent the gift of love and celebration… White Rose & Lemon Leaves is my interpretation of life’s most treasured and memorable moments.’ £95/£45 100ml/30ml; Jo Loves, 42 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9NZ; 020 7730 8611
Spring into action We’ve rounded up our picks for the best spots to get fit in the neighbourhood, beyond your run-of-the-mill gym
L
ondon is no stranger to fitness trends, but this year we’ve seemed to have hit an all-time high with great options nearby. Gone are the days of the monotonous treadmill or low intensity jumping around to pop-dance aerobics. The options today incorporate the best for your mind and body and are varied enough to bring fun and energy no matter what your mood might be. Here are our personal favourites – tried and tested, start now and we swear you’ll start to see results by summer, and maybe even discover a new love for something different in the world of fitness in London!
Triyoga Going strong for more than a decade now, Triyoga first started in Primrose Hill and now has a great location in Chelsea. It has three yoga studios, treatment rooms, an organic cafe, a juice bar, changing areas and a shop. The premise of Triyoga is to combine yoga, Pilates and health treatments, and to offer a wide range of classes to cater to absolutely any yoga style. It is for beginners and experts alike. Triyoga is about wellbeing inside and out, and we absolutely love the instructors we’ve encountered so far. Check out their warm Vinyasa classes – they are the best. Triyoga Chelsea, 372 King’s Road, SW3 5UZ (triyoga.co.uk)
Psycle The high-impact workout on a bike, we totally love Psycle. Taking inspiration from its Stateside cousin Soul Cycle, every Psycle class goes beyond your typical spinclass workout with fun, high-energy music and lots of cheering; the Psycle workout is designed to strengthen the body’s core and tone key body parts. Light hand weights are used and cleated shoes are worn by everyone, increasing the connection between the leg and the bike. If you are looking for the best wake-up in the morning or a mood-lifter to end your workdays, this is definitely the one for you. We left dripping in sweat and feeling great. Psycle London, 76 Mortimer Street, W1W 7SA (psyclelondon.com)
Barrecore If you’ve not heard of ‘Barre’ yet you’re in for a real treat. Barrecore is ‘intelligent exercise’, incorporating interval training with stretches, giving your muscles an amazing workout. The team behind Barrecore claims you’ll start to see results after just 4-5 classes, which work through all of your muscle groups and then stretch them out for relief. We’re completely hooked! Barrecore Chelsea, Atlantic Court, 77 Kings Road, SW3 4NX; additional nearby locations include Kensington, Chiswick and Mayfair (barrecore.co.uk)
B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L
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“the fitness guru viewed by the entertainment industry as the 4th emergency service” The S und ay Tim e s , St y le M a g a zin e
“ When I n e e d e d to get in sh a p e f o r a f ilm, h e t o o k me s a f e ly d o wn f ro m a s i z e 1 2 to size 8 in just six weeks.. . Da v id ’s p ro g ra mme h a s ma d e me a ma z in g l y f i t a n d mu c h s ma lle r. ” Rach e l We isz, Actre ss
“The rewa rds are h u g e , y o u will d ro p t h re e d re s s s iz e s . ” H e llo Mag azin e
“H i s ro u ti n e s a re fun, I never get bored and they w ork. H e ’s al w ays the person I turn to.” L ily Alle n , Re cord in g Ar tist
“ Lose we ight and g a in f it n e s s in re c o rd t ime - wit h t h e B o d y d o c t o r ’s work o u t , a n y t h in g is p o s s ib le . ” The S u n d ay Time s, Sty le Mag azin e
T he be st t r ai n i ng i n t h e wo r l d - a n d i t ’ s o n yo u r do o r st e p
b e s p o k e p e r s o n a l t r a i n i n g • p i l at e s • n u t rit io n c lin ic • h o lis t ic t h e rap ie s • inj ury r e h a b i l i tat i o n • p ow e r p l at e • s mall gro u p t rain in g • c o rp o rat e f it n e s s p rogra mmes
HEALTH AND WELLBEING Vitality pool
Relaxation room
Touch me
Henry Hopwood-Phillips was told to go and do some therapy, so he went for a massage and colour therapy at the Mandarin Oriental, London
T
ime travel. That’s what this massage is... or at least a close approximation to it. Okay, so scientific authorities reckon the whole concept’s an illusion, albeit a necessary one, but delusion is something we humans trade – like money and deceit – very easily. I am leaving my head via the medium of the body and being rewarded for it with the energy levels of a sherbet-addled toddler. Tactility is a rare commodity. We tend to reserve it for those we love, but even then we’ve all got jobs – who feels like giving their partner a massage after a day in the office? Okay, so I’m an amazing guy, but the world isn’t made up of Henrys. And it’s not only our partners who aren’t touching us, it’s the sun too. It may be spring, but the sun’s having trouble frying clouds, let alone my face. Serotonin levels sit near those of my enthusiasm for the next general election: they’re non-existent. So a trip to the local spa, and in Belgravia that must mean the Mandarin Oriental (London), isn’t just a nice thing, it’s crucial – I’m sure there’s a stat somewhere linking trips here to a lowering of local road rage and other such things. Entering, I become the centre of my own court. I can’t possibly wear shoes, flip-flops are provided – and not the sort that evaporate into the ether after 14 footsteps or disintegrate on contact with water – I mean flip-flops you could sell on eBay for a tidy profit. Every little task I must perform (and by task I mean things such as pouring myself some cranberry juice) is halted to make sure I have one of those rolled flannels, ensuring no bead of sweat or dirt sullies my innate glory.
B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L
And what glory I must have. If people keep treating you like you’re a million dollars, you quickly fold and agree. Soon your entire personality is abolished and replaced with a L’Oréal advert – are there more toiletries than you’ve ever owned in your life in the changing room? Of course there are – don’t forget: you’re worth it. ‘Oh, you’ve lost your locker key, sir? Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter.’ Of course it doesn’t matter: I’m still worth it. I’m worth it in the single-sex sanarium (with underwater sunlounger), I’m worth it in the vitality pool, the sauna, I’m definitely worth it in the amethyst crystal steam room with its starry night lights. I spot someone else in the sauna through the hot mist – are they worth it? I postpone an answer; it’s time to experience the zen colour therapy relaxation room. It’s like being on the opposite of acid. You can check out of the world and that’s quite a high, but sometimes you can go the opposite way and check in to it so deeply (and soberly) you reach a similar (inverted?) summit. Whole philosophies and religions have been founded on this feeling of auto-dissolution. I guess for all its sense of calm and restitution, the Mandarin Oriental’s spa is more a place of playful chaos: an acknowledgement that sometimes to keep ourselves together, we’ve got to let it all go. £155 for an oriental massage, which lasts for one hour and 20 minutes plus use of facilities, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA, 020 7235 2000 (mandarinoriental.com/London)
027
Planning &Development Keeping you in the know about important street plans affecting Belgravia
The last of the iceberg houses
Kirsty Bertarelli – Britain’s richest woman, a songwriter and a former Miss UK – has won planning permission to dig out a twostorey basement underneath her Belgravia mews house ‘to make it more conducive to modern family living.’ The excavation could double the size of Lyall Mews, which was bought for £5.5m 15 years ago, creating a cinema room, dining room, gym and new kitchen for Ms Bertarelli and her husband Ernesto (the richest man in Switzerland, according to Forbes). But the application was opposed by angry neighbours, apparently upset by the prospect of three years of disruptive works and potential noise. Other basements have been created on the same street – at least two in recent years – but this is the first to extend down over two storeys, and has been approved before stringent basementlimiting planning rules come in to play in Westminster. ‘We have a basement policy that is coming in very shortly which will restrict this type of development,’ said a council spokesperson after the plans were approved, ‘as we recognise the disruption that residents in Westminster have to live with.’ One neighbour said: ‘Some of the owners around here are absolutely apoplectic about what’s in the pipeline. These kinds of developments cause huge disruption. In the last few years there has already been one double basement conversion and a single basement. There will be hardly any earth left eventually.’ Another noted: ‘The houses were never intended to be enormous family homes and the street is just about wide enough to fit two cars down it side-by-side.’ Rachael Robathan, a local Conservative councillor, backed the objections, observing that ‘The size of the extension is disproportionate.’
PLANNING APPLICATIONS DATE RECEIVED
ADDRESS
PROPOSAL
10 March
Belgrave Square
Repair to external façade and internal works
10 March
Chester Square
Excavation of basement
10 March
Eaton Square
Replacement of fenestration
10 March
Eaton Mews
Alterations to first floor windows
028
B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L
Suppliers of quality bespoke doors and ironmongery to some of the UK’s finest homes. Showrooms: Esher, Surrey & Chelsea Harbour 01932 851 081 or 0207 376 7000 info@solidwoodendoors.com www.solidwoodendoors.com
The Belgravia
Directory
A compendium of the area’s key establishments
Estate Agents Ayrton Wylie 16 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7730 4628
Douglas Lyons & Lyons 33 Kinnerton Street 020 7235 7933
Knight Frank Lettings 82-83 Chester Square 020 7881 7730
Savills 139 Sloane Street 020 7730 0822
Best Gapp & Cassells 81 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 9253
Harrods Estates 82 Brompton Road 020 7225 6506
Knight Frank Sales 47 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7881 7722
Strutt & Parker 66 Sloane Street 020 7235 9959
Chesterton Belgravia 31 Lowndes Street 020 7235 3530
Henry & James 1 Motcomb Street 020 7235 8861
Marler & Marler 6 Sloane Street 020 7235 9641
W A Ellis 174 Brompton Road 020 7306 1600
Cluttons 84 Bourne Street 020 7730 0303
John D Wood 48 Elizabeth Street 020 7824 7900
Rokstone 5 Dorset Street 020 7580 2030
Wellbelove Quested 160 Ebury Street 020 7881 0880
Food & Drink BARS
CAFÉS
Amaya Halkin Arcade, Motcomb Street 020 7823 1166
Tomtom Coffee House 114 Ebury Street 020 7730 1771
The Garden Room (cigar) The Lanesborough Hyde Park Corner 020 7259 5599
PUBLIC HOUSES/ DINING ROOMS
The Library Bar (wine) The Lanesborough Hyde Park Corner 020 7259 5599
RESTAURANTS The Pantechnicon 10 Motcomb Street 020 7730 6074 thepantechnicon.com
Motcombs 26 Motcomb Street 020 7235 6382 motcombs.co.uk
The Orange 37 Pimlico Road 020 7881 9844 theorange.co.uk
The Thomas Cubitt 44 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 6060 thethomascubitt.co.uk
Uni 18a Ebury Street 020 7730 9267 restaurantuni.com
DENTIST
DOCTOR
HAIR SALONS
WELLBEING CLUB
The Beresford Clinic 2 Lower Grosvenor Place 020 7821 9411
The Belgrave Medical Centre 13 Pimlico Road 020 7730 5171
The Daniel Galvin Jr. Salon 4a West Halkin Street 020 7245 1050
ARCHITECTS/ DESIGN
CLEANING
GALLERIES
Kudu Services
88 Gallery 86-88 Pimlico Road 020 7730 2728
Health & Wellbeing
Grace Belgravia 11c West Halkin Street 020 7235 8900 gracebelgravia.com
Home ANTIQUES Bennison 16 Holbein Place 020 7730 8076 Patrick Jefferson 69 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6161
Weldon Walshe 20 Grosvenor Place 020 7235 4100
Discreet, confidential cleaning services for offices and homes of distinction
27 Mortimer Street 020 8704 5988 kuduservices.co.uk
Gallery 25 26 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7516
Fashion BOUTIQUES Philip Treacy 69 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 3992
Herve Leger 29 Lowndes Street 020 7201 2590
Christian Louboutin 23 Motcomb Street 020 7245 6510
EXCLUSIVE
IT SUPPORT
Nevena Couture (clients by appointment only)
Lowndes Street 020 3539 8738 nevena.co.uk
Services BANKS Duncan Lawrie Private Banking 1 Hobart Place 020 7245 1234 duncanlawrie.com
SOLICITORS Child & Child 14 Grosvenor Crescent 020 7235 8000 childandchild.co.uk
The Caledonian Club 9 Halkin Street 020 7235 5162 caledonianclub.com
FLORISTS Catherine Muller 53 Elizabeth Street 020 7259 0196 catherinemuller.com
Dashwood Solutions Contact Jonny Hyam for all your IT needs 07787 507 407
POST OFFICE Post Office 6 Eccleston Street 0845 722 3344
Psychotherapy Suzanne Thomas DHC MRes, Hypnotherapist / Psychotherapist 07770 378791 suzannethomas@ suzannethomas.co.uk suzannethomas.co.uk
TRAVEL Passepartout Homes Ltd 020 7513 2876 passepartout-homes.com info@passepartout-homes.com
Speciality Shops CIGAR SPECIALIST Tomtom Cigars 63 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 1790
BOOKS Belgravia Books 59 Ebury Street 020 7259 9336 belgraviabooks.com
CONFECTIONERS Peggy Porschen 116 Ebury Street 020 7730 1316 Pierre Hermé Paris 13 Lowndes Street 020 7245 0317 Rococo Chocolates 5 Motcomb Street 020 7245 0993
B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L
DELI La Bottega 25 Eccleston Street 020 7730 2730
JEWELLERS De Vroomen 59 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 1901 VICKISARGE 38 Elizabeth Street 020 7259 0202
Elizabeth Gage 5 West Halkin Street 020 7823 0100 eg@elizabeth-gage.com elizabeth-gage.com
NEWSAGENT
Mayhew Newsagents 15 Motcomb Street 020 7235 5770 Mayhew Newsagents is a local Belgravian institution. As well as supplying the area with national and international newspapers and magazines, it provides an extensive range of stationery, computer supplies and postal services. Opening times: Monday to Friday 7am-6pm, Saturday 8am-2pm, Sunday 8am-1pm
Local delivery service available
PERFUMERIES Floris 147 Ebury Street 020 7730 0304 florislondon.com
031
choose wisely
At a time when the UK is awaiting a general election, it has never been more important to choose an agent who can offer up up--to to-the the--minute advice on how you can get the best price for your property. So, if you are considering renting or selling your property this year, now is the time to speak to an expert. For your complimentary market appraisal, call us today on: Sales 020 3641 5910 or Lettings 020 3641 6004
KnightFrank.co.uk Core intelligence phase 3 - Lettings
16/03/2015 14:10:05
B
5
KnightFrank.co.uk Eaton Square, Belgravia SW1 Long leasehold flat
Located at the favoured Western end of Eaton Square, this Grade II listed one bedroom flat is presented in good condition throughout and would make an ideal Pied à Terre. Bedroom with en suite bathroom and dressing room, reception room, kitchen, lift. Approximately 70 sq m ﴾757 sq ft﴿ Leasehold: approximately 120 years remaining Guide price: £2,250,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/belgravia belgravia@knightfrank.com 020 3641 5910 ﴾BGV120056﴿
Wilton Row, Belgravia SW1
Three bedroom house Located in this charming, cobbled mews this house is moments from the amenities of Knightsbridge and Belgravia. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, dressing lobby and roof terrace, 2 further bedrooms, bathroom, 2 reception rooms, kitchen, 2 guest cloakrooms, utility room, double garage, balcony. EPC rating B. Approximately 261 sq m ﴾2,810 sq ft﴿ Available unfurnished ﴾pictures as previously furnished﴿ Guide price: £3,450 per week
Belgravia Lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings belgravialettings@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6004 ﴾BEQ185218﴿
All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges
BRJ April Sales and Lettings - Final crops
17/03/2015 16:17:27
savills.co.uk
1 GRADE II LISTED PERIOD HOUSE REFURBISHED TO A VERY HIGH STANDARD ebury street, sw1 Drawing room ø study ø dining room ø breakfast room ø kitchen ø 5 bedrooms ø 4 bathrooms ø cloakroom ø terrace ø 305 sq m (3,283 sq ft) ø EPC=D Guide £6.95 million Freehold
Savills Knightsbridge
Savills Sloane Street
William Duckworth-Chad wdchad@savills.com
Tom Lamb tlamb@savills.com
020 7581 5234
020 7730 0822
savills.co.uk
1 STYLISHLY PRESENTED THREE BEDROOM DUPLEX APARTMENT ennismore gardens, sw7 Entrance hall ø drawing room ø dining room ø media room ø master bedroom suite with dressing room ø 2 further bedroom suites ø balcony ø direct lift access ø 303.8 sq m (3,270 sq ft) ø EPC=C Guide £10.5 million Leasehold, approximately 101 years 9 months remaining
Savills Knightsbridge Alex Christian achristian@savills.com
020 7590 5065
savills.co.uk
L L O
1 BEAUTIFUL RAISED GROUND FLOOR FLAT WITH IMPRESSIVE CEILING HEIGHTS eaton square, sw1 Entrance hall ø reception room ø dining room ø kitchen ø master bedroom suite ø further bedroom ø bathroom ø 162 sq m (1,746 sq ft) ø Grade II* listed
Savills Sloane Street Richard Dalton rdalton@savills.com
020 7730 0822 Guide £3.35 million Leasehold, approximately 20 years remaining
savills.co.uk
LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY
1
STUNNING "PASSIVHAUS" PROPERTY SITUATED IN BELGRAVIA passmore street, sw1 2 bedrooms ø reception room ø conservatory ø kitchen ø bathroom ø garden ø 75 sq m (811 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=A
Furnished £950 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*
Savills Sloane Street Verity Comber vcomber@savills.com
020 7824 9005
2
NEWLY REFURBISHED TOWN HOUSE IN BELGRAVIA burton mews, sw1 3 bedrooms ø reception room ø study ø kitchen/dining room ø 3 bathrooms ø patio ø mews parking ø garage held on a lease ø 194 sq m (2,090 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=C
Flexible furnishings £2,750 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*
Savills Sloane Street Guy Bradshaw gbradshaw@savills.com
020 7824 9005 *£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.
UPPER BELGRAVE STREET, BELGRAVIA, SW1W
£1,850 PER WEEK TWO BEDROOMS • TWO BATHROOMS • LIFT • HIGH CEILINGS • SUPERB LOCATION • WOOD FLOORING • SOUTH-WEST FACING • RESIDENT CARETAKER • EPC C
PLUS £240 ADMINISTRATION FEE AND £60 REFERENCING FEE PER PERSON BELGRAVIA OFFICE 1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861 belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk
henryandjames.co.uk
KINNERTON YARD, BELGRAVIA, SW1X
£2,250,000 LEASEHOLD • RECEPTION ROOM • TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS • KITCHEN • BATHROOM • EN-SUITE SHOWER ROOM • PRIVATE PATIO • EPC C •
BELGRAVIA OFFICE 1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861 belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk
henryandjames.co.uk
Belgrave Mews West
Belgravia SW1X
A spacious & truly stunning double fronted mews house, arranged over 3 floors, with a wonderful sweeping staircase. The house boasts a large 35ft by 18ft reception room, with double height ceiling to the rear & 5 double bedrooms. The mews benefits from secure, resident only parking. Belgrave Mews West is tucked away off West Halkin Street in ‘Belgravia Village’ & is well located for the wealth of internationally renowned boutiques in Sloane Street & Brompton Road. EPC rating C
chestertons.com
£7,999,000 freehold
Knightsbridge & Belgravia
020 7235 8090 sales.knightsbridge@chestertons.com
Wellington Court
Knightsbridge SW1X
price on application leasehold
This magnificent 3 bedroom, Grade II listed mansion flat has a 24hr porter & offers the perfect combination of grand ceiling heights & beautiful period features, alongside the latest technology. With immaculate finishes, ornate ceilings, silk hand embroidered wallpaper, marble & air conditioning throughout, no expense has been spared to create the ultimate in luxurious living.
Knightsbridge & Belgravia
EPC rating C
020 7235 8090 sales.knightsbridge@chestertons.com
Harrods Estates Established 1897
Large or smaLL we seLL and Let them aLL
Our experienced team are on hand to offer expert advice on all your property requirements.
To find your perfecT home please call:
KniGhTsBridGe office: 82 BrompTon road london sW3 1er T: 020 7225 6506 harrodsesTaTes.com @harrodsestates.com
4852 HE BRJ Knightsbridge A4 ad.indd 1
18/03/2015 16:36
CHAPEL STREET, BELGRAVIA SW1X A stunningly presented end of terrace townhouse, developed by Candy and Candy, to offer excellent entertaining space as well as large family bedroom suites. The accommodation of approx 4,541 sq ft comprises eat-in kitchen, dining room, three further reception rooms, and depending on configuration up to 5 double bedrooms, plus staff bedroom with ensuite bathroom.The double garage accessed from Groom Place connects to the house with an internal corridor. The house also has a large decked terrace, air conditioning, and is available immediately for long terms lets on either a furnished or unfurnished basis. EPC rating F. Price per week: £5,950 Property Fees: £180 Admin & £300 Checkout. References: £42 per person *http://www.harrodsestates.com/tenants
020 7225 6602 Karen.boland@harrodsestates.com
KNIGHTSBRIDGE OFFICE: 82 BROMPTON ROAD LONDON SW3 1ER T: +44 020 7225 6506 MAYFAIR OFFICE: 61 PARK LANE LONDON W1K 1QF T: +44 020 7409 9001 CHELSEA OFFICE: 58 FULHAM ROAD LONDON SW3 6HH T: +44 (0) 20 7225 6700 HARRODSESTATES.COM
16:36
EATON PLACE, SW1 A well presented ground floor flat with fabulous views over private gardens to the rear from the drawing room.
Leasehold approximately 31 Years
ÂŁ1,750,000
* Entrance Hall * Drawing Room * Kitchen * 2 Bedrooms * Shower Room * Porter
Kinnerton Street, Belgravia SW1 This large contemporary freehold townhouse is fantastically located in the heart of Belgravia. Offering an excellent open plan reception space and an abundance of natural light throughout, the accommodation is comprised of an open plan kitchen/breakfast room, reception room, a large drawing room spanning the entire first floor, a master bedroom suite on the second floor and a second double bedroom with en-suite shower room. The property is currently a two double bedroomed property however this can be easily transformed into a stunning three or four double bedroom house. The house also benefits from a porterage service.
020 7580 2030 WWW.ROKSTONE.COM 5 Dorset Street, London, W1U 6QJ enquiries@rokstone.com
£3,950,000 »»Freehold house »»Belgravia »»Contemporary style »»High ceilings »»Large bright reception room »»Generous eat in kitchen »»Master bedroom suite »»Porterage service
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BASiL STREET SW3 PA R K S Ipresented DE S Wbedroom 1 flat in this beautifully maintained mansion building in the heart of Knightsbridge. An immaculately three The building ideally located for flat Harrods theaccommodation shops and restaurants area, and moments from Knightsbridge Stunning newlyisrefurbished mansion offeringand flexible in the heartofofthe Knightsbridge. The property is situated on the underground third floor of thisstation. portered block on the edge of Hyde Park. Unfurnished. 904 sq ft. ■
Three Bedrooms
• Double Bedroom Two Bathrooms • Reception / Second Double Bedroom
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Reception Room Kitchen/Breakfast Room £1,000 per week + fees
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Entrance Hall/Dining Area
• Kitchen open plan to Reception ■ Loft Storage Area • Shower Room
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£3,300,000 Subject to Contract
Porter Lift
• Air Conditioning • Lift
■
1397 sq ft E
• Porter ■ EE rating • H & HW incl
• EE Rating C
Share of Freehold
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Where will we find your perfect buyer or tenant? As the exclusive UK affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate network, we can reach quality buyers and tenants in 46 countries via 950 offices and a website visited 135,600 times a month. There’s no better way to open your door to the world. The Belgravia Residents’ Journal is published independently by Runwild Media Group with regular editorial contributions from The Belgravia Residents’ Association. To become a member of the BRA, visit www.belgraviaresidents.org.uk. We would highly value any feedback you wish to email us with: belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk; or telephone us on 020 7987 4320.
w w w. R e s i d e n t s J o u r n a l . c o . u k (020) 7987 4320
66 Sloane Street London SW1X 9SH Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7235 9959 knightsbridge@struttandparker.com struttandparker.com/christies
T???_SP_Abu Dhabi Door Ad_Belgravia RJ.indd 1
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BELGRAVIA Resident’s Journal 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
march 2015 • Issue 34