communit y Newsletter Winter 2013
winter 2013
editor’s letter
welcome to victoria
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elcome to the winter edition of the Victoria community newsletter. It’s been an exciting autumn in Victoria, with significant progress being made in the redevelopment of the area. Inside, you’ll find out more of the latest news on the construction of Kings Gate, The Zig Zag Building and Nova, Victoria. With the arrival of new restaurants, shops and a cinema, and more and more public art (a new favourite is Marlo Pascual’s giant image of a cool cat at the Nova, Victoria site), the ever-growing number of facilities in Victoria is raising its status as a place where businesses and their employees will want to be based and locals and tourists alike will want to meet. There is no better time to show off our community than at Christmas. As novelist Rob Ryan writes inside, we have notable figures of Queen Victoria’s reign to thank for much of the way we mark the festival. So it’s appropriate that celebrations in the neighbourhood of London named after her should be bigger than ever this year. Victoria BID (Business Improvement District) has installed a display of Christmas lights along Victoria Street, from Nova, Victoria
to 62 Buckingham Gate, and has sponsored the huge Christmas tree by Westminster Cathedral. We hope you were able to join us for complimentary mulled wine and roasted chestnuts at the launch of Christmas in Victoria at Cardinal Place at the end of November, and enjoyed the live performances from the London Ballet Company and the West End cast of The Gruffalo. Please let us know what you thought of the event. The festive food market continues at Cardinal Place until Christmas. And, talking of The Gruffalo, inside this issue, the author Julia Donaldson discusses the stage version of another of her popular books, The Snail and The Whale, which is on locally at the St James Theatre this winter. Along with Wicked at the Apollo Victoria and Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre, there is a great choice of family favourites for your clan to enjoy together. And what could be more Christmassy than that?
Jonathan Alabaster jonathan.alabaster@landsecurities.com
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B y G e or ge
T he Sna i l a nd the W ha le b o ok g ive aw ay Their books are adored by children and adults alike and now author Julia Donaldson’s personal favourite, The Snail and The Whale, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, is being transformed into a Christmas show at St James Theatre in Victoria. The book tells the story of a tiny mollusc who longs to see the world, so hitches a lift on the tail of the sea creature and embarks on an amazing journey. To celebrate the show, Axel Scheffler has kindly signed copies of the book to give away. For a chance to win these and tickets to the show, email your name and address to community. competition@landsecurities.com
At 21, George the Poet, who grew up on a north-west London estate, has graduated from Cambridge and performed at the Royal Albert Hall. Land Securities commissioned a special poem for the awards ceremony to celebrate its London Employment Strategy, which, in the past two years, has helped over 200 people back into work. According to George, ‘Construction’ asks society ‘to give people a chance so they can construct a future for themselves’ See George recite his latest poem ‘There Are No Choices Without Chances’ at createvictoria.com
Ch r i s t ma s t r e at s at Hot el C ho colat There’s a wealth of festive flavours, including mulled wine and cinnamon praline, at luxury British chocolatier Hotel Chocolat on Victoria Street. Bring comfort and joy to Christmas get-togethers with scrumptious tree decorations (£1.95), edible wreaths (from £9.50) and Christmas crackers filled with chocolates (£5.50 to £40). The Truffles for Two Advent Calendar (£26) will ensure a blissful countdown to the big day for sweet-toothed adults. And the Ultimate Christmas Hamper, filled with wines and ports, cocoa, canapés and a huge dinner-table centrepiece, is £300-worth of chocolate heaven.
Rol l s-Royce come s t o 62 Buck i n g ha m G at e The striking office building 62 Buckingham Gate will soon be home to a new tenant: Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC. The aerospace engine-maker will stretch out over 37,120 sq ft on the seventh and part of the sixth floor of the most talked about office building in London’s West End. The development has attracted great interest since opening in May, thanks to striking architecture and efficient design – it is now almost two-thirds let. Rolls-Royce employees will no doubt enjoy life at 62 Buckingham Gate, with its excellent natural light and panoramic views, and a thriving social scene in one of the capital’s most vibrant neighbourhoods.
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T he world’s olde s t youth club From football to fashion, baking to boxing, St Andrew’s Youth Club is committed to supporting young people in London by providing opportunities to fulfil their dreams and potential. Founded in 1866, the club has had a colourful history; starting life in Soho, it was bombed during the Blitz and is now happily nestled between Westminster Abbey and the Home Office. Spread over three-storey, purpose-built premises, St Andrew’s offers a safe and supportive environment for all its 800 members, who come from the diverse local community, including some of London’s most deprived neighbourhoods. To find out more, visit standrewsclub.com or email naomi@standrewslcub.com
K i n g s G at e a nd T he Z i g Z a g Bu i ld i n g Things are starting to take shape on the north side of Victoria Street, at the £342m redevelopment of the former Kingsgate House. Cranes signal the progress of the core structure of Kings Gate, with the ground floor of the building (which will eventually rise up 14 storeys) now complete. Meanwhile, the excavation of the basement of The Zig Zag Building, which will be an innovative 12-storey office building with roof terraces and garden walkways, is completed as construction works continue. The new EDF power station, which will provide power for Kings Gate and the Nova, Victoria development, is also fully constructed, marking an important milestone for the project.
Nex t on s t a ge at t he St Ja me s T he at r e The St James Theatre continues to tell bold stories this winter with the provocative yet touching In The Next Room – an exploration of sex and intimacy set in late-19th-century New York State. Originally staged on Broadway in 2009, it went on to win Best New Play at the TMA Awards and be nominated for three Tony Awards. In The Next Room runs from 13 November 2013 to 4 January 2014. To book, visit stjamestheatre.co.uk
T he ICA r eve a l s t he f ut u r e of a r t This winter, the Institute of Contemporary Arts, handily located for Victoria residents on The Mall, is exhibiting Bloomberg New Contemporaries – a selection of works by the most promising artists from UK art schools. Throughout the exhibition’s history, many artists who went on to great things have been featured, including Jake & Dinos Chapman, Antony Gormley, Damien Hirst and David Hockney. This year, the final works span a range of media from sculpture to photography and video works. Installation art takes centre stage though, using household objects and even YouTube videos. The exhibition runs from 27 November 2013 to 26 January 2014 and entry is free. For more information, visit ica.org.uk
Winter 2013
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Nova , V ic t or ia pr og r e s s
C h r i s t ma s c a r ol s i n V ic t or ia Westminster Cathedral is an atmospheric venue in which to warm your Christmas cockles with music. It hosts a concert on 10 December in which its world-renowned choir will sing Benjamin Britten’s beautiful work A Ceremony of Carols as part of his centenary celebrations. Early booking is also recommended for the Cathedral’s ever-popular carol concerts, complete with congregational singing, on 18 and 19 December. The lovely St Peter’s Church in Eaton Square will also have a Christmas carol service on Sunday 15 December at 7pm. More details at westminstercathedral.org.uk and stpetereatonsquare.co.uk
Work on Nova, Victoria (formerly known as Victoria Circle) is progressing well. The jewel in the crown of the district’s redevelopment will, on completion in 2016, provide world-class offices, contemporary apartments, high-profile retail, dining and 16,000sq ft of community space. Demolition works were completed in September to make way for the next phase of the development. Tower cranes on the southern half of the site signal the beginning of construction, as does the scaffold walkway on Buckingham Palace Road, built to ensure the safety of the local community during Victoria’s ongoing transformation.
C om i n g at t r ac t ion s at 62 Buck i n g ha m G at e There will soon be more opportunities than ever to socialise in what’s becoming London’s coolest neighbourhood, with the announcement of a new boutique cinema opening next year at the gloriously glassfronted 62 Buckingham Gate. And SW1‘s first cinema won’t be any ordinary affair; Curzon is the UK’s leading art-house cinema chain. If popcorn isn’t enough to satisfy your appetite, there will soon be two new gastronomic destinations to choose from in the building: stylish deli and restaurant Benugo is set to open before Christmas, with health-conscious Leon opening in January, in time for your detox.
C h r i s t ma s ma rket s The Thursday food markets at Cardinal Place are already a firm favourite in Victoria and, with Christmas just around the corner, the market has been transformed into a festive feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Christmas lights will sparkle around food stalls brimming with Yuletide treats available throughout December. And it’s just a short walk to Hyde Park, where there is a full-blown Winter Wonderland to discover, with stalls selling gifts and Christmas decorations, as well as an ice rink, rides and even a magical ice kingdom to explore. Find out more at hydeparkwinterwonderland.com and createvictoria.com
winter 2013
people
j u l i a d o n a l ds o n words V i c k y E d w a r d s
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amed for her muchloved children’s books – Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale and, of course, The Gruffalo – and until recently the Children’s Laureate, Julia Donaldson is something of a literary superstar. Young children and their parents know her books by heart and a number of them have been adapted for the stage. As the stage version of The Snail and the Whale packs ’em in at theatres both at home and abroad, Julia recalls her own childhood experience of live theatre… ‘I have very vivid memories of going to the theatre as a child. It made a huge impression on me and probably changed my life. Just going into that building and the lights going down, and then this world coming alive in front of you – it was something very magical.’ At the age of eight, her passion for theatre was cemented when her parents took her to see a play-come-ballet for which a friend of theirs was conducting the orchestra. ‘It was called Where the Rainbow Ends,’ she recalls. ‘In the final scene, it was a tradition that the principal ballet dancer would call out children’s names and they had to stand up and say they would fight dragons and help the rainbow fairies. Unbeknown to me, the conductor had put him up to asking if there were any little girls called Julia in the audience. I stood up and said, “Yes, I’ll help!” – I was the only one. Then I got taken backstage and I saw Will o’ the Wisp in her dressing room and there was the smell of greasepaint. And I
was completely stage-struck from then on!’ For The Snail and the Whale, Julia placed her trust in the hands of Tall Stories, the theatre company that had already adapted both The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom. She admits to being careful about who she lets loose on her books. ‘I know Tall Stories quite well and Toby [Mitchell, adaptor and director of The Snail and the Whale] approached me a couple of years ago. He had this idea inspired by the work of Storybook Soldiers, a project that helps members of the military serving abroad to record stories and send them back home. It’s all done very nicely with professional-looking CDs and sound effects, but the really important thing is that the soldiers can still read to their children. Toby had the idea of an interdependent relationship between a very large creature and a very small one, and linking that to the idea of a father and a daughter who were separated, with the father travelling around the world as a sailor and the daughter somehow going with him in spirit. At first, I was a little bit dubious as I didn’t want that narrative to dominate the snail and the whale’s story. But I thought it might be quite balletic and musical and that The Snail and the Whale might gain strength from music and dance. Toby was quite taken with the idea of live music, so there’s a viola player who is the narrator and that really adds something poetic to the feel.’ But once the process to make her stories ready for the stage is underway, Julia doesn’t tend to get overly involved.
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award. Telling of a tiny snail When she’s happy with the with ambitions to see the initial concept, she will world and who hitches a lift gladly talk to directors about on the tail of a humpback, the characters and to answer the ensuing journey is full any particular queries they of excitement. What hapmight have, but for the most pens when the whale gets part her work is done and she O pp os ite an d a b ove: beached? How can the titchy has to wait until first night to Wr iter J uli a D on ald s on and one of t he illu s t rat ion s f rom her snail possibly save him? discover if the adaptation is award-w inn in g b o o k T h e Sn a il an d t h e W h a le , which in s p ire d Julia says that, while all that she’d hoped for. So, an ch ar m in g and im a g in at ive s t a ge ad apt at ion she might use less sophisher verdict of the finished ticated rhymes to hold the production of The Snail and attention of even the most the Whale? ‘I saw it at the Edinburgh Festival last year and I really loved it,’ she says. fidgety tot, she doesn’t otherwise distinguish between writ‘It was a bit nerve-wracking, but I did have tears in my eyes, ing for children and adults. ‘Really you’re just creating stories. The Brothers Grimm didn’t collect stories especially if not rolling down my cheeks.’ The most requested book by the children under the for children. I’m pretty sure they were just folk tales and that Storybook Soldiers scheme, The Snail and the Whale on they were for everyone. Everyone loves stories.’ The tour of The Snail and the Whale will see families stage has all the hallmarks of a Tall Stories production: unique, family-friendly and guaranteed to capture the imag- the length and breadth of the UK revelling in the magic of inations of children aged four and over. Including physical this particular story. Culminating in London for a four-week storytelling, live music and lots of humour, the design, Julia Christmas run at the St James Theatre in Victoria, it’s then promises, has been worked out in association with the illus- on to America, Canada, Dubai and Bermuda – a measure trator. ‘It is probably my favourite of all the books I have of the London-born and -raised writer’s success and the written for Axel Scheffler to illustrate,’ she says. ‘It takes me global affection her books inspire. back to my childhood, when my grandmother used to read Talking of Christmas, how does ‘Mrs Gruffalo’ (as she is me Edward Lear poems. I particularly loved the one about known by many of her young fans) spend the day? ‘My sister the Jumblies who go on a mad voyage and I hope I have and I take turns to host. Unless The Gruffalo or The Gruffalo’s infused some sense of that into The Snail and the Whale. Child is on, the TV stays off and we play parlour games. We I think it’s the most poetic of my texts.’ might go for a walk, and no presents, other than stockings, It’s also one of her most popular titles. Published are allowed until after lunch,’ she says, firmly. to critical acclaim in 2003, it won the 2004 Early Years The Snail and the Whale is on at St James Theatre, Victoria, award, the 2005 Blue Peter award and the 2007 Giverny 10 December 2013 – 5 January 2014; stjamestheatre.co.uk
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a v i c to r i a n c h r i s t m a s words r o b r y a n illustration B o m b o l a n d
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have to admit that I am a stickler for a traditional Christmas. There must be cards (real ones, not the upstart e-version) and a decorated, ceiling-grazing tree (with presents under it) plus halls must be decked, crackers pulled and turkey stuffed and trimmed. There will be the Queen’s speech, an afternoon snooze, followed by board games and tea and mince pies. And, if I remember, sometime during the proceedings I shall raise a glass to three Victorians who helped create the festivities I enjoy so much – Sir Henry Cole, Tom Smith and Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel. Not every aspect of what we think of as Christmas tradition is Victorian (decking the halls with boughs of holly and the figgy pudding have mediaeval origins) but many of the core conventions stem from the middle of the 19th century. Mass-produced, commercial Christmas cards, for instance, are generally dated to 1843, when Sir Henry Cole decided he could mechanise the usual hand-written cards of season’s greeting, thus saving many hours of scribing. Cheaper postal rates helped accelerate the spread in popularity of the printed version, filled with snowy landscapes, the chirpy robin and (by the 1860s) the ruddy-faced, furtrimmed Santa Claus. An amalgam of Russian, British and (in appearance at least) American influences, most of us are thankful that Santa owes at least one vital Christmas characteristic to the Dutch Sinterklaas who, unlike his equivalent English Father Christmas, who dates from the 1400s, actually brings gifts. The centrepiece of the dining table on the 25th changed in mid-Victorian times, too. Goose (or swan for the posh) was the favoured celebratory bird until the early 1800s, when turkeys began their takeover bid. By 1843, that
inveterate booster of festive cheer, Charles Dickens, had Scrooge send Bob Cratchit a large turkey in A Christmas Carol. The goose was cooked. Or rather, it wasn’t any longer. The Christmas cracker was introduced soon after Tiny Tim’s appearance, invented in the late 1840s by Tom Smith, who based the shape on the paper-wrapped bonbons of Paris and the bang on the crackling and sparking of log fires. It was his son, Walter, who later introduced the hat, novelties and groan-inducing jokes. And what of that gaudy, gussied-up tree in the living room? Although popular in Germany from the late 1700s onwards, it was Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel – better known as Queen Victoria’s beloved (and, of course, German) consort Prince Albert – who triggered the wholesale adoption of the bauble-bedecked fir by the British public. In 1849, a print in the Illustrated London News showed the Royal Family gathered around a Christmas tree and the trend snowballed rapidly, becoming the norm in middleclass homes within the decade. The Royals also revived the practice of Christmas carols, which here had rather struggled since the Puritans banned them. Again, they were still in robust health in Germany, and Albert was instrumental in their renaissance. Soon new carols such as ‘Once In Royal David’s City’ (1848) and ‘Good King Wenceslas’ (1853) swelled the repertoire. So, much of our Christmas owes its form to the German traditions of Prince Albert’s childhood. But, thank goodness, we resisted one invasion from the Continent – we still open our presents on Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve. Which, in my house at least, is exactly as it should be. Novelist Robert Ryan’s latest novel is Dead Man’s Land, a World War I adventure featuring Conan Doyle’s Dr Watson
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history
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T h e Q u e e n ’ s Ga l l e ry words T a m s i n C r i m m e n s
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of more than 100 works on wo new exhibitions paper, presented to the Queen open this winter at The by the Royal Academy of Queen’s Gallery: one in which Arts in 2012, to celebrate her the Diamond Jubilee is celeA b ove ‘ Van it a s’, by G iovann i B ene det to C a s t ig lione, draw n Diamond Jubilee, including brated by Royal Academicians, aro und 1 650 and one of 9 0 draw in gs and pr int s in t he David Hockney’s inkjet print including Tracey Emin ex hib it ion at T he Q ue en’s G aller y t hi s w inter of a drawing that reads and David Hockney; and ‘ER II 60 years’, created drawings by controversial using an iPad, and Tracey but brilliant 17th-century Emin’s monoprint portrait draughtsman Giovanni of the monarch. Benedetto Castiglione. Sculptor John Maine, from the south-west of England, While the two exhibitions may, at first glance, appear to have little in common, both are displays of works on paper has contributed a drawing of Westminster Abbey’s Cosmati and share innovation as a central tenet. The fact that there Pavement, the spot where the Queen was crowned, and the are upwards of 400 years between the sets of works also architect Michael Manser donated a drawing and photograph of The Queen’s Suite at Heathrow Airport, which he results in a fascinating contrast for visitors to explore. Castiglione: Lost Genius aims to reinstate the Genoese designed in 1988. Other works by notable Academicians – including artist, who is widely credited as the inventor of the monotype style of print-making, as one of the greatest and most Anish Kapoor, Cornelia Parker and Grayson Perry, who contributed a design for his Kenilworth AM I motorbike – technically gifted of the Baroque. The exhibition brings together 90 drawings and prints, are also included in an exhibition that has a broad interprefrom depictions of pastoral scenes to mythical and religious tation of ‘works on paper’, including as it does photography themes, and the large and vibrant compositions often belie and works in oil and mixed media, as well as prints, sketches, the darkness of a character who, had he lived today, would drawings and watercolours. But what does Her Majesty herself think of her gifts? undoubtably be the source of salacious tabloid headlines. Much of what is known of Castiglione is not derived from ‘The Queen has seen photographs of all of the works in the completed commissions, but from court papers document- collection and she is delighted,’ says curator Martin Clayton. ing his violence, including rumours of murder and even an Castiglione: Lost Genius and Gifted: From the Royal Academy attempt to throw his own sister from a rooftop. to The Queen are at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace Far less controversial, though no less compelling, from 1 November 2013 to 16 March 2014. Booking is essential, Gifted: From the Royal Academy to The Queen is a portfolio for more details, visit royalcollection.org.uk
Winter 2013
my victoria
Chef Lecturer
Ga ry HU n t e r T he Head of Culin ar y Ar t s and Hospit alit y at We st min ster K ingsway College, whose students staff The Vincent Rooms restaurant, on where to eat Chateaubriand or bacon sarnies
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ictoria is a brilliant location for us. We have a great customer base for the restaurants – both the residents and workers – and we’re right in the centre of arguably the food capital of the world. That sparks the imagination and helps make sure everything we do here is first rate. I’ve worked at the college 19 years and the regeneration of the area has been very impressive. The current redevelopment of Victoria Street is amazing. But as well as the buildings and the new offices, there are great spaces here too. St James’s Park is just a fiveminute walk away, and Vincent Square, where the college and restaurants are, is beautiful. It’s almost like being in a village: I can be having a really tough day but if I walk around the Square, it’s calming. But on Saturday and Sunday, when we do weekend courses for the public, it’s bustling. Our main focus is the three-year course where we’re training the next generation of restaurant staff, and giving them direct experience through our brasserie, The Vincent Rooms, and our fine-dining restaurant, The Escoffier Room. We’re something of a hidden gem – people can walk past the building, then spy the menu and realise we’re there. The Vincent Rooms are open for coffee in the morning; we have a daily changing lunch menu; we do early-evening bar snacks; and there’s a daily dinner menu. The Escoffier is a fine-dining restaurant – seven courses – and that’s open five days a week. Sitting in there in the evenings, with
St Peter’s church lit up, is just stunning. In the first year (level one), students serve in the brasserie. In The Escoffier, it’s levels two and three serving and only third-year chefs cooking: they have to make it that far to get the privilege of cooking in The Escoffier’s kitchen. The food is excellent. It has to be. After all, if we don’t have customers, the students don’t learn. We teach our students every aspect of the industry – purchasing, quality control, butchery etc – as well as frontof-house and kitchen. We must be doing something right, as most of them go into jobs in top London restaurants and hotels when they leave us. Victoria is an excellent place for food. I like Strutton Ground. Along the sides there are so many great eating places – The Laughing Halibut, the fish-and-chip shop there, is brilliant – but in the middle, on the market, there are so many fantastic food stalls. And Shepherds. It’s classical French – the place you go when you want Chateaubriand and want it done properly. But my favourite place is The Regency Cafe. It has such a wonderful atmosphere and the team are such characters. It seems weird recommending The Regency when you’re teaching people high-end restaurant techniques, but sometimes you just need a bacon sandwich and a mug of tea. The Vincent Rooms restaurant, Vincent Square, SW1P 2PD; 020 7802 8391. Westminster Kingsway College; westking.ac.uk
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community
Victoria comes together Let us know what you think about the changes in Victoria Email us at communityliaisonvictoria@landsecurities.com
you can Get involv ed Our community liaison meetings are a forum to discuss changes an invitation to a special residents’ event to mark the opening in the area, and the next will be on 27 January 2014. Look out for of the new marketing suite, the Victoria Pavilion.
V ictoria is changing We’ ve h ad s o m e great f eed b ack o n th e walks s o far…
At Land Securities, we are investing more than £2bn over the next decade to create a Victoria for the future, providing spectacular residential space, the best in contemporary office locations, and a new retail heart for the area.
The tour of Land Securities’ developments was fascinating and I’m so pleased I went. Our guide was really knowledgeable about Victoria. Having the opportunity to visit the internal spaces of the new buildings was a highlight, particularly the views across London from 62 Buckingham Gate. Janet
We would be delighted to share with you both our vision for Victoria and its hidden history on one of a series of walking tours. We hold these once a month, starting from our new Victoria Pavilion, on the rooftop of Cardinal Place. To reserve your space, e-mail communityliaisonvictoria@landsecurities.com
Above: This statue of a Blewcoat scholar is one of the hidden gems to see on a Victoria walking tour
It was great to see how Victoria is transforming, and to learn huge amounts of interesting history I was unaware of. And there are lots of secret streets I never knew existed. It was a really rewarding experience. Olivia
C yc ling in V ictoria Land Securities continues to support the Metropolitan Police Cycle Task Force’s Exchanging Places programme and we have now hosted three of these events at Cardinal Place in Victoria. These events allow people to sit in the driver’s seat of an HGV, in order to gain a better understanding of what the
driver can and, more importantly, cannot see – especially with regards to cyclists on the nearside and directly in front of the vehicle. For more information on current campaigns, the vision for London cycling, travelling safely by bicycle and free training, visit tfl.gov.uk
To find out more about the new Victoria, go to createvictoria.com Published for Land Securities by Show Media Ltd showmediaLONDON.COM