VICTORIA

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COMMUNIT Y NEWSLETTER WINTER 2014


WINTER 2014

EDITOR’S LETTER

WELCOME TO VICTORIA

W

elcome to the latest edition of the Victoria Community Newsletter. We may be in the midst of winter, but there’s still plenty going on in the area to tempt you out into the cold in the run-up to Christmas. To help you make the best of the district’s Advent cheer, we’ve put together an illustrated map of the best of the season in Victoria. Covering parties, presents, decorations and food and drink, it’s the ultimate guide to treating your loved ones – and yourself – this December. Be sure not to miss the Cardinal Place Christmas Market on 18 December – a specially festive version of our weekly food event that will be chock-full of seasonal treats. For those of a more bah-humbug persuasion, we have plenty of other suggestions that might make you merry! There’s a wealth of cultural diversions at Victoria’s growing collection of world-class venues all year round and, in this issue, we explore what’s on this month. Whether catching a film at the Curzon, taking in an exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery or at Tate Britain, or enjoying a performance at the St. James Theatre, where Tall Stories will be performing their magical version of The Snow Dragon, there’s something for all the

family. Inside, we talk to the production’s creator, Toby Mitchell, about what makes it so special. In this edition, we have an amazing tale to tell ourselves – but ours is true. It’s the fascinating back-story of The View. Today, it’s one of the area’s most desirable residential buildings, but its long history dates back to Elizabethan times and includes incarnations as the famous Stag Brewery, which supplied beer to the whole of London, and Roebuck House, the many famous residents of which numbered prime ministers, film stars, socialites and even belly dancers among their throng. December is shaping up to be excitingly jam-packed – a fitting end to a thrilling year in which the re-creation of Victoria has continued apace. To make sure you’re up to date, we’ve provided updates overleaf on Land Securities’ developments, including Nova, Victoria; Kings Gate; and The Zig Zag Building, as well as news of other happenings in this rapidly changing and dynamic district.

JONATHAN ALABASTER communityliaisonvictoria@landsecurities.com @CreateVictoria


WINTER 2014

NEWS

Nova, Victoria Work on the Nova, Victoria development opposite Victoria Station continues to progress well. Replacing a Sixties block, this jewel in the crown of the district’s redevelopment will, on its completion in 2016, provide a brand-new restaurant quarter for London, offering world-class offices, contemporary apartments and high-profile retail facilities as well as areas of community space. The Nova Building’s concrete structure is nearing completion, with the last few floors now under construction. At the same time, both the outer stone cladding and glass elements of the building are progressing well. Although the visible activity is only above ground level, work in the basement still continues. All the excavation is now complete, allowing for the creation of plant rooms and pre-fabricated corridors for the project’s next phase. With the labour count still rising on the development, new accommodation and welfare provision for the site’s operatives is now under construction.


WINTER 2014

NEWS

K i n g s G at e a nd T he Z i g Z a g Bu i ld i n g

Our Christmas gift guide is full of all the information you need to ensure your festive shopping goes without a hitch. As well as 99 ideas for the best Yuletide presents to buy in Victoria, we’ve listed all the stores in the area where you can scoop up just the right gifts for every member of your family. Many of those stores are also running a number of seasonal special offers and promotions, so why not treat yourself as well as your nearest and dearest?

Works continue on Victoria Street’s newest developments. The innovative 12-storey scheme, The Zig Zag Building, is now completed to the roof level, the plant rooms are well underway, and the terraces are getting ever closer to being finished. It’s full steam ahead in the residential section, too – the apartment fit-out is complete up to level 8. Work is progressing, meanwhile, on Kings Gate, the 342m redevelopment of the former Kingsgate House on the north side of Victoria Street, Glazing on the retail front is three-quarters complete, while the roof terraces, outer building cladding and plant installation is advancing, and the lobby lift fit-out is almost complete.

Works to increase capacity at the Victoria Underground Station continue at a pace. The shells of both the extended south ticket hall and new north ticket hall are both complete. The primary lining for 70 per cent of the tunnels for the upgrade has also been completed, and the team is working on the remaining tunnels that will connect north and south ticket halls for the very first time. The upgrade is still on track to provide the entrance to the Tube from Cardinal Place in winter 2016, and the enlarged south ticket hall open for use in spring 2018. If you’d like to find out more, contact the team on 0800 028 4778 or vsu@tube.tfl.gov.uk.

C h r i s t ma s ma rket In the run-up to Christmas, the regular Thursday Cardinal Place Food Market will have festive food gifts and treats such as handmade chocolates, seasonal cakes and mince pies galore. The Market will also be serving up English artisan fudge and cheese, savoury English pies including partridge and pear, and Sardinian and Iberian charcuterie and olive oil. There will also be a selection of craft gifts – ideal for stocking fillers.

REX FEATURES

Under g r ou nd up dat e

Ni net y-n i ne t op g i f t s: the g u ide


WINTER 2014

NEWS

Fe s t ive c a r ol c onc er t s on you r do or s t ep Celebrate the season with a rousing carol concert in one of Victoria’s beautiful churches. At Westminster Cathedral, the choristers will hold a special performance of Britten’s Ceremony of Carols on 2 December – a stirring way to start the Advent period. Closer to the big day, the Cathedral will also host A Christmas Celebration, on 17 and 18 December – a concert of more familiar favourites. Tickets are available from the Cathedral shop or Ticketmaster. St Peter’s on Eaton Square hosts a carol concert each year that is moving and fun in equal parts, attracting many locals for a festive service and singalong. This year’s concert, with the church’s own choir, is on 21 December from 6.30pm. Charity carol concerts will also be hosted at St Peter’s throughout the festive season – check its website for ticket details. stpetereatonsquare.co.uk.

Roa r i n g s ucce s s

Ad vent c a lenda r up for g r a b s The Create Victoria Facebook page is running a social-media advent calendar giveaway this month, with a daily prize on offer from a local Victoria retailer. Check the page every day to enter each competition. You could win a number of prizes, from £250 to spend at Hobbs to a hamper of goodies from Space NK. To enter the competitions and for full T&Cs, visit facebook.com/createvictoria.

The St. James Theatre continues to deliver top family fun to Victoria with The Snow Dragon, brought to life by talented production company Tall Stories. The story focuses on Billy, a lucky little goat whose doting parents tell him that, on New Year’s Day, he’ll wake to find the Snow Dragon has brought him presents. However, when he meets some wolves in the woods on New Year’s Eve, it looks as if the magical day that he has been promised might not go to plan. Author Toby Mitchell, who wrote the script for Tall Stories and is also directing the play, says, ‘It’s a great seasonal adventure, with lots of memorable characters, plenty of laughs and some fantastic foot-tapping songs, making the show thrilling for both children and parents. The Snow Dragon puppet invariably gets an “ooh” from the audience!’ And nowhere is it better seen than in this theatre in central Victoria. The Snow Dragon is at the St. James Theatre from 9 December to 4 January 2015. Tickets start at £16.

Victoria Community Newsletter readers have the chance to win a copy of The Snow Dragon book, signed by Toby Mitchell. To be in with a chance, send your name and address to community. competition@createvictoria.com.


WINTER 2014

SEASONAL SHOPPING

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ablaze (020 7881 0804; o get into the Yuletide majestic.co.uk/belgravia). mood in style, head H O R S E F E R RY ROAD What do you mean, you for the very grand Lindley Victoria St John’s haven’t decorated the tree Hall, on Elverton Street, the Place Gardens yet? You’re lucky – Victoria older of London’s two Royal X H AL Street’s House of Fraser has tinsel, baubles and fairy Horticultural Halls. Its Enchanted Christmas Party L BR GE returns this December (availability on 11 & 19 DecemberIDat lights to spare (0344 800 3762; houseoffraser.co.uk). Vincent RO AD Square Fountain BE time of going to press; 0845 644 6510; awesome-christmas. There’s a range of Christmas crackers available too, as well EL LG Square IZ RA AB VE ET H R co.uk/enchanted-shared-christmas-party). Enjoy a magical as festive hampers for non-chefs. ST O AD three-course Sfeast beneath twinkling trees in the company Wreaths are another decorative essential for Noël. TG EO Eccleston RG of fauns and fairies, with an aerial show and forest-floor Try Dovers Flowers on Churton Street, family-run E’ Gardens S DR IV E and include prosecco on arrival. disco. Tickets cost £80 since the Twenties (020 7834 8784; doversflowers.com). VA U X also available here, should you need If mulled wine is more your tipple, Victoria is packed Scented candles are HA LL Tate BR with pubs serving this festive fillip. Try TheWarwick gift inspiration, while mistletoe can be sourced for those Britain Thomas ID BE GE LG RO Gardens a kiss at the Christmas party. Cubitt gastropub on Elizabeth Street, where you can sip RAVplotting AD E RO AD Talking of planning ahead, be sure to order your a steaming glass next to a roaring fire (020 7730 6060; PIMLICO turkey early to avoid getting into a flap. PJ Frankland thethomascubitt.co.uk). You’ll be needing plenty of booze for both domestic & Son is a high-quality, friendly butcher that has a stall carousing and culinary purposes too. Just a few steps from on Tachbrook Street Market every day except Sunday Victoria Station, Majestic, situated on Lower Belgrave (07872 665445). For those wishing to try something Street, is a safe bet for large wine orders, plus champagne different from from the traditional bird, it stocks organic and essential spirits, such as brandy for the mince pies’ duck and rare game too, as well as excellent handmade buttery accompaniment and to set the Christmas pudding sausages, and local deliveries can be arranged. EB U S T RY

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Strutton Ground Market will be invaluable for those seeking sprouts, clementines and other such seasonal stalwarts, thanks to two weekday fruit-and-veg stalls. Meanwhile, Little Waitrose on nearby Victoria Street has champagne-laced Christmas puddings, Heston Blumenthal-styled cakes, mince pies, chestnuts and poultry stuffings covered (0800 188884; waitrose.com) and Sainsbury’s on Wilton Road, Victoria’s biggest supermarket, is a good bet for niche items (020 7931 8988; sainsburys.co.uk). Christmas-card options abound in SW1. For something a little different, opt for an artisan approach, courtesy of The Grosvenor Stationery Company on Elizabeth Street (020 7730 4515; grosvenorstationerycompany.com). At the quirky end of spectrum is Tate Britain’s Gallery Store, which has modern-art takes on traditional festive images (020 7887 8888; tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain). Time to tick off those last few presents. Relatives with a sweet tooth are easily catered for: on Upper Tachbrook Street, Chocodeli’s handmade creations, especially its moreish macaroons, make a good gift (020 7976 5064;

chocodeli.co.uk), and the same is true of Whittard, on Buckingham Palace Road, which has long been famed for its fine hot chocolate and luxury teas (020 7821 9698). Plumping for the tried-and-tested pamper-package option? Among Cardinal Place’s host of excellent shops, L’Occitane and Space NK are treasure troves of gift ideas and olfactory persuasion (cardinalplace.co.uk/shops); while Appuru, back on Moreton Street, specialises in organic skincare products (020 7828 0101; appuru.co.uk). As for that esoteric uncle, go to the fantastic Cave on Tachbrook Street: a trendy junk shop, art gallery, vintageclothes emporium and artisan furniture store rolled into one (020 7592 9155; cavepimlico.co.uk), or rummage through Tachbrook Street Market’s bric-a-brac stall. If all else fails, buy socks. There are plenty of toe-warmers on sale inside Cardinal Place’s menswear stores, including woollen affairs with a touch of Jermyn Street class at Hawes & Curtis (020 7821 7776; hawesandcurtis.co.uk). Done! You see – Victoria always has the answer. And that’s not just at Christmas-time either.

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HISTORY

A RO O M W I T H A V I E W To d a y , T h e V i e w i s o n e o f t h e m o s t s o u g h t - a f t e r a d d r e s s e s i n V i c t o r i a . But it also has a glamorous past that can be traced back through the Swinging Sixties to the time of Shakespeare

T

oday, The View is one of the most sought-after addresses in Victoria. But it also has a glamorous past that can be traced back through the Swinging Sixties to the time of Shakespeare. It may sound obvious, but one of the best things about living here is, well, the view,’ says Mike Honour. He’s
talking about the luxury
 residential development, that,
with stunning vistas over 
London that include Westminster Cathedral and Buckingham Palace, really has earned its new name. The View is, in fact, the modern metamorphosis of the Sixties Roebuck House, which made its stunning transformation in 2005–6, shortly before Honour moved in and became a director of the company that acts as the residents’ association. While Honour is keen to extol the virtues of living in Victoria today, he is also eager to point out that his current address is one with a fascinating history that connects the area’s brewing traditions to the era of Shakespeare. By the time we reach the Sixties, the fashionable new Roebuck House was a haven for movie stars, politicians, captains of industry and Middle Eastern royalty. Roebuck House is part of Land Securities’ Stag Place development, between Victoria Street and Buckingham Gate. We can trace its history back to the Elizabethan era, when a wealthy gentleman by the name of John Greene owned most

of the land we think of as Victoria today. In the 1640s, his son developed the site and established the Stag Brewery. His plan was to supply ale to the many surrounding Royal palaces, including St James’s and Whitehall, which subsequently burned down (the nearby Buckingham Palace was yet to be built). Greene’s plan proved to be a commercial success and, for many generations, his brewery supplied ale to the palaces and their entourages. The Stag Brewery grew and, by the 1800s, had become the largest in London. By the late-Fifties, it was in the hands of Watney Mann, at which point the site was sold to Land Securities and the brewery transferred to Mortlake. The original brewery was demolished almost in its entirety to make way for a brand-new development called Stag Place, named in commemoration. For the sharp-eyed visitor to Victoria, a few reminders remain: some of the original houses of the brewery workers still exist in Castle Lane (once known as Cabbage Lane), for example, and a local pub, The Cask and Glass, is where lucky local workers once supped their beer for free. Today, although the pub has retained a lot of its period charm, the ale, which is now supplied by Shepherd Neame, is unfortunately no longer free. But there is more to the area than brewing. The View stands within the historic ‘Division Bell’ catchment of the Houses of

FOX PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES; GETTY IMAGES; HULTON ARCHIVE; KEYSTONE VIA GETTY IMAGES

WORDS NICK SMITH


WINTER 2014

HISTORY

.

Parliament.
Before the days of mobile
 communications, if
 there had been a ‘division’
 in the House, a system of bells was used 
to recall members to vote. The area is 
defined as anywhere that is within an eight-minute dash of Parliament. This naturally made Roebuck House very popular with politicians, including former Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home and the Minister for Northern Ireland Lord Willie Whitelaw. If you were lucky enough to be a resident of Roebuck House half a century ago, the Victoria that greeted you then would have had the ambience of a metropolitan village. Stag Place was a bustling hive of shops and offices as well as any number of cheap and cheerful Italian cafés that served the needs of the booming publishing and other media businesses that had moved into the area. In the plaza of Stag Place stood a six-metre statue of the eponymous Stag, set within a pond. There was also an Esso petrol station and a car park forecourt that was routinely filled with chauffeur-driven limousines. The most famous of these was an unmistakable Thirties Rolls-Royce Phantom II, which had taken centre stage in the 1964 Terence Rattigan-scripted film The Yellow Rolls-Royce. Non-automotive stars of the film included Rex Harrison, Shirley MacLaine and Ingrid Bergman – and all of them were residents of Roebuck House.

But life in the block was set to become even more glamorous when James Bond producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman moved in, with the result that two incarnations of 007, Sean Connery and Roger Moore, were regular visitors. The list of A-listers goes on, with Peter Sellers and Laurence Olivier taking up residence with their wives, Britt Ekland and Joan Plowright. Sixties Victoria was a special place that seems to have almost disappeared. Nothing sums up the atmosphere of stars rubbing shoulders with the great and the good of the day’s government more perfectly than the two restaurants that were once located in the lower-ground floor of Roebuck House. The Bristol was a haunt of peers of the realm, while the Chanticleer was a Greek restaurant that had belly-dancing every night and was a favourite with the bohemian clientele. An entrepreneurial society restaurateur both hedged his bets and doubled his money by owning both, which today, for better or worse, are now a fitness centre and mezzanine flats. Mike Honour thinks the community in Victoria is as thriving as it has ever been. In fact, he says, ‘It’s grown in recent years, with the addition of a lot more residential property. There’s a significant increase in the number of residents.’ And with access to stations, airports, Theatreland and a growing range of shops, he believes they’ve never had it so good.


WINTER 2014

C U LT U R E

H O L I DAY H A PPE N I N G S W it h a brand-new cinem a and L ondon’s l ate s t t he at re on yo ur do ors tep, Victoria is the perfect place to have a cultural Christmas break WORDS GEORGIE L ANE-GODFREY

16 DECEMBER 2014 CURZON VICTORIA 62 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6QW; curzoncinemas.com

Take the family on a trip down the rabbit hole with choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s colourful production of Alice in Wonderland, screened live from the Royal Opera House. Featuring a cast of instantly recognisable characters, from the eccentric Mad Hatter to the tetchy White Rabbit, and, of course, the famously bad-tempered Queen of Hearts, this ballet is a brilliant realisation of Lewis Carroll’s weird and wonderful dream world that all ages will enjoy.

NOËL COWARD’S CHRISTMAS SPIRITS 8–23 DECEMBER 2014 ST. JAMES THEATRE 12 Palace Street, London SW1E 5JA; stjamestheatre.co.uk

It’s December 1940 and bombs are raining down on London. In his Mayfair flat, Noël Coward calls upon his latest creation, the visionary medium Madame Arcati, to summon up voices to tell of the spirit of Christmas through the ages. A bittersweet blend of prose, poetry and song, this production shares heartwarming stories from around the world. Starring Stefan Bednarczyk, Issy van Randwyck and Charlotte Wakefield, it is a feel-good celebration of festive goodwill that is set against a backdrop of one of the nation’s most trying and turbulent times.

extraordinary work he created between 1835 and his death in 1851, it reveals the energy, vigour and innovative techniques of this controversial and often misunderstood artist. As you admire both spectacular oil paintings and newly identified watercolours, you’ll see why John Ruskin described Turner as ‘the greatest of the age’. While you’re visiting, take a look at the entries for the Turner Prize 2014, the prestigious competition named after the artist. GOLD

UNTIL 22 FEBRUARY 2015 THE QUEEN’S GALLERY Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA; royalcollection.org.uk

Gold is unarguably one of the most festive colours, and this new exhibition at Buckingham Palace explores the beauty FROM 12 DECEMBER 2014 and symbolism of this precious metal CURZON VICTORIA through the ages. Featuring 50 exhibits 62 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6QW; curzoncinemas.com from the Royal Collection, dating from the Early Bronze Age to the 20th century, The final instalment of Peter Jackson’s it examines gold as an enduring expression epic three-part adaptation of The Hobbit of status, both earthly and divine. Look sees Bilbo Baggins uniting the dwarves and LATE TURNER – PAINTING SET FREE out for the drawing The Flight into Egypt (pictured above), created by artist elves against Middle-earth’s evil powers. UNTIL 25 JANUARY 2015 Pier Francesco Cittadini in the 1600s, Deadly dragon Smaug is raining down his TATE BRITAIN Millbank,
London SW1P 4RG; using paper entirely covered in gold leaf. wrath on the people of Lake-town, while tate.org.uk Other top spots include a golden crown the Dark Lord Sauron has returned to Middle-earth, unleashing an army of Orcs Following on from the recent biopic about from Ecuador; the Rillaton Cup from a on the Lonely Mountain. With a cast that JMW Turner, see the works for which he Bronze Age burial; and the 18th-century includes Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, became famous at the Tate Britain’s latest tiger’s head in gold and rock crystal from Orlando Bloom, Benedict Cumberbatch exhibition, Late Turner – Painting Set the throne of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of and Cate Blanchett, this is not to be missed. Free. The first show to be devoted to the Mysore in India. THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/© HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II 2014

LIVE SCREENING OF THE ROH’S ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND


WINTER 2014

MY VICTORIA

B R I DA LW E A R D E S I G N E R

I A N S T UA RT The award-winning wedding couturier recalls his search to find a new flagship store in Victoria INTERVIE W GEORGIE L ANE- GODFRE Y PHOTOGR APHY TRENT MCMINN

W

hen I finished my degree in fashion, I wanted to specialise in theatre and costume. But at the time there wasn’t really any work in that field, so I did the next best thing: wedding dresses and show-stopping eveningwear. I trained with a couture salon called Bellville Sassoon, who designed dresses for the late Princess Diana and Ivana Trump among others, before moving to the USA. When I came back to London in 1999, my partner and I created the Ian Stuart label. I think we’ve got a very recognisable signature style: coquettish and diva-like. It’s definitely for strong personalities! For the past 10 years, we have been selling our collections internationally to independent boutiques, but we’ve never had our own flagship store until now. We live in Vauxhall, but we spend a lot of time in Victoria. We shop here, we eat here – we love the vibe of it and what it’s about to become. And with so many fashion brands moving in, it seemed the perfect location for us. We spent two years searching Victoria for a location. We were looking at another building when we noticed the old Blewcoat School. Built in 1709, it was formerly a charity school, founded to educate local underprivileged boys. When

we found it, the National Trust was using it as a gift shop. It took a year and a half of negotiation with them to let us have it, and even then there were so many rules and regulations. We’re the first retail operation in a building that is owned by the National Trust – quite a landmark. Since it’s Grade I listed, the National Trust was very specific about what we could do within the building. In a way, these limitations made it better for us. We weren’t allowed permanent fittings so all the display cabinets are on wheels, letting us move them and put on Fifties-style salon shows in here. But the best bit is the architecture. It feels very calm in here, and the pillars make you feel like you’re almost in church, which is a great atmosphere for brides-to-be. We opened on 3 June this year. It’s a daunting prospect to open a bridal shop in an area where there are no others, but we both love Victoria. For dinner, we like to go to Quilon, the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant at the Taj hotel, and on weekends, I enjoy wandering around Tachbrook Street Market. Victoria is definitely the new hotspot for London. Ian Stuart’s flagship store is at The Blewcoat, 23 Caxton Street, London SW1H 0PY; ianstuart-blewcoat.com


WINTER 2014

COMMUNITY

VICTORIA COMES TOGETHER LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE CHANGES IN VICTORIA Email us at communityliaisonvictoria@landsecurities.com

YO U C A N G E T I N V O LV E D Our community liaison meetings are a forum for discussing applications. The next meeting is on 26 January 2015. changes in the Victoria area and include updates of our live For more information, email us or write to: Community developments as well as information on future planning Liaison, Land Securities, 16 Palace Street, London SW1E 5JD.

VICTORIA IS CHANGING learning about the past, present and future plans for the area. Deborah

At Land Securities, we are investing more than £2bn over the next four years to create a Victoria for the future, providing spectacular residential space, the best contemporary office locations and an exciting new restaurant quarter. We’d be delighted to share with you our vision for Victoria, as well as its hidden history, on one of our monthly walking tours, which start at the Victoria Pavilion on the rooftop of Cardinal Place. Here is just some of the great feedback we’ve received so far...

Just a note to say thank you very much for inviting us on that fascinating tour today. Having only recently moved to London, it was good news indeed to see how Victoria is developing. The charming and courteous way you looked after us is much appreciated. David Above: Victoria’s literati are among those celebrated on the Blue Badge walking tours

To reserve your space on the next tour, which will take place on 19 March 2015, please email communityliaisonvictoria@landsecurities.com.

C YC L I N G I N V I C T O R I A Land Securities continues to work with the Metropolitan Police Cycle Task Force’s Exchanging Places programme in conjunction with the Victoria BID and TfL. We also support safety-awareness events for pedestrians and cyclists around Victoria – look out for the pop-up event in Hudson’s Place,

at the rear of Victoria Station, on 27 February 2015. Land Securities endorses the Mayor of London’s cycle-safety campaign and the new TfL Cycling Workplaces scheme and commuter skills training. For more information on the vision for London cycling, safety and free training, visit tfl.gov.uk.

To find out more about the new Victoria, go to CREATEVICTORIA.COM @CreateVictoria

ALAMY

I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it’s a good idea to have Land Securities and a Blue Badge Guide as joint tour leaders. It was interesting

Thanks – it was both interesting and fun! Ted


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