Abs Kensington Oct12

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OCTOBER 2012 £3.95

KENSINGTON

LUCY WORSLEY’S KENSINGTON PALACE

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

EASY DINING WITH BILL GRANGER

LEE BENDER AND BUS STOP THE REVIVAL

Autumn leaves

A bright new season

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ABSOLUTELY OCTOBER 2012

9 EDITOR’S LETTER 10 ABSOLUTELY LOVES

Absolutely’s top ten this month

38 PROFILE

Mark Elie, of Portobello Dance

CULTURE 13 WHAT’S ON

October’s diary

45 RACHEL JOHNSON

Quizzing the Lady of W11

STYLE

30 BUS STOP

W8 nostalgia

32 FASHION SHOOT Autumn brights

FOOD & TRAVEL 62 BILL GRANGER

32

The kitchen interview

69 RESTAURANT REVIEW Goode & Wright

INTERIORS

89 A DESIGNER’S LIFE

At home with Kate Forman

77

91 WAREHOUSE PARTY

Photographer Simon Upton’s impressive W11 interior

45

62

38

PROPERTY

116 IN THEIR OWN WORDS 128 PRIME PURCHASE

ON THE COVER NOTTING HILL

KENSINGTON

MODEL WEARS: ETRO TROUSERS, £675 ETRO.COM; TARA JARMON CARDIGAN, £273, TARAJARMON.COM, DINOU DE JOFRÉ BLOUSE, £249, JOFRE.ES; VERSACE SCARF, £270, VERSACE.COM

MODEL WEARS: TARA JARMON SKIRT, £208, TARAJARMON.COM; KENZO JERSEY, £600, KENZO. COM; CHRISTIAN DIOR BLOUSE, £1,100, DIOR.COM; HERMÈS SCARF, £450, HERMES.COM; B&L RUFFLE, £35; BURLINGTON SOCKS, £16, BURLINGTONSOCKS.COM

ABSOLUTELY

OCTOBER 2012 £3.95

20

NOT TING HILL

YEARS OF BALLET AT MARK ELIE'S PORTOBELLO DANCE

RACHEL JOHNSON THE LADY ON

NOTTING HILL AND HER NOVEL

INSIDE STORY

29 CONTENTS.indd 7

EASY DINING

ABSOLUTELY

OCTOBER 2012 £3.95

KENSINGTON

LUCY WORSLEY’S KENSINGTON PALACE

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

EASY DINING WITH BILL GRANGER

LEE BENDER AND BUS STOP

AT HOME IN W11 WITH PHOTOGRAPHER SIMON UPTON

WITH BILL GRANGER

Anniversary issue

THE REVIVAL

Autumn leaves

Absolutely celebrates its first year

A bright new season

S T Y L I S H . I N T E L L I G E N T. E L E G A N T. A B S O L U T E LY

S T Y L I S H . I N T E L L I G E N T. E L E G A N T. A B S O L U T E LY

27/09/2012 16:58

ABSOLUTELY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Harriet Compston EDITOR Pendle Harte EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Katie Randall EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Pearl Boyd, Hattie Edmonds, Juliet Kinsman

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27/09/2012 16:52

EDITOR’S LETTER

I

t’s our birthday. Absolutely is one year old this month.

We launched in October 2011 and now, a whole year later, we’ve come a long way. Once we’d recovered from all those Absolutely cocktails (thank you, Beach Blanket Babylon, Babicka and everyone who came), we set to the task of producing magazines – and over the past 12 issues we have made lots of friends, eaten and drunk our way around the area, styled some fabulous fashion shoots and been to lots of glamorous parties, always returning dutifully to type it all up and send the pages to the printer on time.

Oh, and we’ve gained a whole new family of Absolutelys along the way. As well as the original Notting Hill and Kensington titles, we now have an entire sisterhood of magazines. There are Absolutelys in Chelsea, Fulham, Battersea and Clapham, Putney and Wandsworth, Chiswick and West now, all of them just as stylish as the original.

This month, we celebrate ballet with Mark Elie, chat with Rachel Johnson about life at The Lady, discuss novel writing with Bridget O’Donnell, talk food with Bill Granger and swoon over Simon Upton’s fabulous warehouse home, among lots of other things.

I hope you enjoy the issue.

Pendle Harte Editor EMAIL: PENDLE@ZEST-MEDIA.COM FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ABSOLUTELY_MAGS FACEBOOK ‘ABSOLUTELY NOTTING HILL’

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WATCH THAT MAN Much excitement surrounds the announcement of next year’s exhibition about David Bowie at the V&A. Displaying hundreds of items from the star’s personal collection, exhibits include Aladdin Sane’s striped bodysuit, pictured, designed by Kansai Yamamoto in 1974. Roll on March 2013. vam.ac.uk

10 things we

SURREAL SEATING Barnaba Fornasetti’s beautiful Lux Gstaad chair in wood is printed, lacquered and painted by hand, and on show in Westbourne Grove. themesandvariations.com

Absolutely LOVE

PLATE PERFECT

You can’t beat minimalist tableware, Finnish style, and Iittala’s new Sarjaton range is the ultimate in unshowy craftsmanship. Muted colours, quiet details and tactile embossed china make up the range that spans mugs, plates and bowls in a variety of sizes, all of it both beautiful and functional. Skandium.com

FARES PLEASE SWEETNESS AND LIGHT We are hankering after Tom Dixon’s impressive Etch Web lampshade, which claims to be ‘the ultimate shadow play pendant’ and features a repeated irregular pentagon shape forming a perfect sphere. Mathematically, it’s amazing. And it looks nice too. tomdixon.net

We’ve just discovered the range of Bus Stop memorabilia – and being old enough to remember the boutique itself, we are entitled to wear this stylishly commemorative silk scarf. Even if we weren’t, we would anyway. busstoplondon.co.uk

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STREET ART

LITTLE DARLINGS

The new House by John Lewis range of all things for the home includes a gallery of ready-to-hang artworks and photographic prints, among them this image of Lancaster Road by Ingrid Rasmussen. Is this your house? johnlewis.com

Little Duckling’s new collection for children combines 70s nostalgia (dungarees, chunky knits, muted shades) with a feel of the Wild West (cowboy print babygros, cords chequered shirts). Dresses are full of delightful details with contrast piping and mother of pearl buttons, while a new range of tights in complementary shades completes the collection. little-duckling.co.uk

HOT SHOT We are loving Lavazza’s limited edition fashion coffee tins, featuring designs by Marni, Roberto Cavalli, Missoni, Etro, Versace and Moschino. Especially Roberto Cavalli’s wild graffiti-splashed leopard. And they’re only £10 – if you can get your hands on one, that is. Lavazza.com

PRINCESS WALLPAPER Discussing Diana with Lucy Worsley led us to discover the beautiful Julie Verhoevenillustrated Diana wallpaper on display at the Kensington Palace ‘Diana: Glimpses of a Modern Princess’ exhibition, which traces her transformation from shy, flouncilyattired 19-year-old to the sleek clotheshorse she would become. hrp.org.uk/kensingtonpalace

EYE KNOW Claire Goldsmith, granddaughter of spectacle legend Oliver Goldsmith, designs her own range of glasses in All Saints Road and there’s absolutely no question that hers are the most stylish specs in the area. Myopia rocks. clairegoldsmith.com 11

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27/09/2012 16:19

ABSOLUTELY | A RTS & CULTURE

HOLLYWOOD COSTUME

FROM 20 OCTOBER

V&A

The V&A’s autumn exhibition explores the central role costume design plays in cinema storytelling. Bringing together over 100 of the most iconic movie costumes from across a century of film-making, it is a once-in-alifetime opportunity to see the clothes worn by unforgettable and beloved characters such as Dorothy Gale, Indiana Jones, Scarlett O’Hara, Jack Sparrow, Holly Golightly and Darth Vader.

vam.ac.uk

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ELLIE DAVIS: INTO THE WOODS 5 OCTOBER TO 17 NOVEMBER

RICHARD YOUNG GALLERY

With this collection of 24 photographs Ellie Davies captures the mystery and intrigue of ancient forests by creating minimally disruptive woodland installations that transform the natural into the fanciful. She works mostly alone in the woodland to become fully attuned and engulfed by the atmosphere of each individual setting. She performs small acts of engagement by painstakingly crafting and arranging her chosen materials within the natural world and then documenting her intervention with photography.

4 Holland Street, W8 richardyounggallery.co.uk

October PAINTINGS BY ANNABEL MENHENEOTT UNTIL 27 OCTOBER

CALKEN GALLERY

Menheneott’s bright canvases are striking and she says: ‘The subject matter of my paintings is influenced by the ever changing and evolving landscape which provides me with a library of colour, movement and atmosphere. Some convey a feeling of emptiness and vastness whilst others suggest a feeling of calm.’

117 Kensington Church Street, W8 020 7998 6446; calkengallery.com

ABDERAHIM YAMOU: WORKING FROM LIFE THROUGHOUT OCTOBER

THE MOSAIC ROOMS

PORTOBELLO PORTRAITS 30 OCTOBER TO 4 NOVEMBER

TABERNACLE GALLERY

Portobello Portraits explores the diverse and fascinating group of people who have congregated around Portobello. Gill Bradley’s commissioned portraits are mostly a modest A6 size and capture the sitter well.

Powis Square, W11, tabernaclew11.com

Leading contemporary Moroccan artist Abderrahim Yamou presents Working From Life, an exhibition of his paintings showcased at the Mosaic Rooms. The collection of images is inspired by the natural world, organic processes, continuity and change and the tensions and instabilities of boundaries and of spaces in between. Having studied biology, Yamou shows how the sciences and arts fuse together to create distinct pieces of artwork.

Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, SW5; mosaicrooms.org

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ABSOLUTELY | A RTS & CULTURE

BAREFACED THEATRE 4 TO 31 OCTOBER

PORTOBELLO POP UP

Three new plays performed under the Westway. Mad Women explores the perceived madness of writers Mary Shelley, Emily Dickinson, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Virginia Woolf; Whore is a bold, innovative insight into four of history’s most interesting prostitutes and All Hidden charts the stories of two female spies from the present and past. The season focuses on women who have helped themselves and have strived to succeed in what they were good at in immersive, innovative and provocative pieces of theatre.

Acklam Road, W10; barefacedtheatre.com

JOAN RIVERS: THE NOW OR NEVER TOUR 22 OCTOBER

ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Join an entertainment legend for an evening of no holds barred, eccentric comedy; for one night only, Joan Rivers will swing into town during her UK nationwide tour. Side-splittingly funny and mind-shatteringly blunt, we love her unique blend of comedy.

Kensington Gore, SW7. For tickets, call 0844 338 0000 or visit bookingsdirect.com.

For further information, call 0845 401 5045 or visit royalalberthall.com

BRANDING JAMES BOND 24 OCTOBER

MUSEUM OF BRANDS

Book your seat at the exclusive Branding James Bond lecture, an Inside Out Festival event. James Bond, Batman and Harry Potter aren’t just film characters, they’re brands too. With branding and movies so intertwined, what does this mean for our film industry? Dr Finola Kerrigan of King’s College London and Daragh O’Reilly from University of Sheffield reveal their findings to this very question. Pick their brains in the Q&A session that follows. £10 tickets include entry to the Museum and a drink. 6pm.

2 Colville Mews, W11, 020 7908 0880; museumofbrands.com

THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE

CASA DE CAO

DEBUT CONTEMPORARY ART

SPORTING CLUB OF LISBON

13 OCTOBER

18 OCTOBER

Artist and social commentator Thomas William Dowdeswell will be showcasing a live art installation The Beginnings Of Life in the window of Debut Contemporary. Watch the artist cracking eggs and pouring milk into a fi sh tank as he raises questions about how we consume our basic foodstuffs and contemporary art.

82 Westbourne Grove, W2, 020 7221 1651 debutcontemporary.com

Medium Rare returns with everybody’s favourite variety show, featuring cabaret acts, short films, table top roller skaters, trapeze artists, opera, magic, live music and comedy, with past acts including the incomparable ventriliquist Nina Conti (pictured).

Casa de Cao is set to be a new regular fixture.

27 Elkstone Road W10 mediumrare.tv 15

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ABSOLUTELY

OCTOBER 2012 £3.95

20

NOT TING HILL

YEARS OF BALLET AT MARK ELIE'S PORTOBELLO DANCE

RACHEL JOHNSON THE LADY ON

NOTTING HILL AND HER NOVEL

INSIDE STORY AT HOME IN

W11 WITH PHOTOGRAPHER SIMON UPTON

EASY DINING WITH BILL GRANGER

Anniversary issue

DOWNLOAD THE NEW

Absolutely celebrates its first year

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27/09/2012 16:39

ABSOLUTELY | A RTS & CULTURE

MIDNIGHT R AMBLER

Holland Park is the new home of hellraiserturned-sober artist Ronnie Wood, whose major retrospective continues in Mayfair.

The show includes paintings, sketches, handwritten lyrics and painted guitars, giving a comprehensive insight into Wood, the bands and the rock legends he has associated with over five decades. Wood’s striking paintings are popular with collectors including Bill Clinton. The show continues until 9 November at 34 Bruton Street W1.

Agenda

This month’s highlights

T IM E PLE A SE

Sir Terence Conran, along with leading architects and designers, buried a time capsule in the foundations of the new Design Museum building at the Commonwealth Institute. Conran contributed an iPhone, a tin of sardines and a bottle of Burgundy, while architect John Pawson added a miniature Wegner Wishbone chair, Sir Paul Smith a collection of his own London 2012 Olympic stamps, Margaret Howell a picture of Battersea Power Station and Thomas Heatherwick a standard light bulb.

TAU RUS T R A K K E R

West London blues punks Taurus Trakker are Martin Muscatt and Allison Phillips, who are building an international fan network from their Ladbroke Grove base. Music-wise, their credentials are solid, with Muscatt’s cousin Mick Jones producing their work. Their new EP A Rakket U Trust is out now, along with a free download at facebook.com/ taurustrakkerband.

OUT SIDE CH A NCE

© RANKIN

The wholesome, outdoorsy types at Pedlars have published a guide to life called The Great Outdoors. It’s full of invaluable advice on subjects ranging from how to skin a pheasant, to how to build a tree house, to how to pickle a walnut, alongside tips on keeping warm in tents, building rafts and tying different kinds of knots. It’s all quite cutesy, in true Pedlars style, and is just the thing for urbanites who fancy themselves as survivors in the wilderness, or even just successful festival-goers. £16.99; pedlars.co.uk

DA R K K N IGHT

NW6-based author Ali Knight returns with her second novel, a fast-paced thriller that puts her work firmly in the crime genre. The First Cut is a compelling rollercoaster of a story, featuring a handsome stranger with a tumbledown family estate, a journalist whose marriage is shaky, an unsolved murder in the past and a network of hit men. There’s a hefty dose of ultraviolence too, plus the inevitable – though totally unpredictable – final twist, coming after a nail-biting chase through busy Notting Hill streets during Carnival. Cleverly plotted and deeply sinister, this is a gripping read.

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27/09/2012 15:12

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ABSOLUTELY | PROMOTION

Portobello Performance The brilliant Portobello Pop Up becomes home to the Barefaced Theatre group during October

F

ollowing on from the amazing success of the Portobello Pop Up’s various film festivals and screenings, Barefaced Theatre is now taking over the homemade digital Microplex cinema, nestled under the Westway, for the whole of October. It makes the perfect setting for Barefaced’s first repertory season, as they will be experimenting with both video art and animation throughout all the productions. Barefaced is a Londonbased theatre company producing ambitious and accessible theatre that invites audiences to expand their imaginations, employing a

Emily Dickinson, the 19th century American whose poems reached far beyond the confines of her reclusive life; the utopian feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman, plagued by depression, whose story The Yellow Wallpaper highlighted the horrors of confinement for women termed ‘mad’; and Virginia Woolf, the modernist genius whose own demons would eventually consume her.

All Hidden is a brand new play that charts the stories of two courageous women; Eileen Nearne was an SOE during the Second

Barefaced focuses on strong storytelling, strong physicality and strong women’s roles theatre style that subverts audience expectations and questions the world around us. Barefaced focuses on strong storytelling, strong physicality and strong women’s roles, both on and off stage.

This project revolves around three new plays: Mad Women, Whore, and All Hidden and the season focuses on women who have helped themselves and have strived to succeed in what they were good at. These are going to be immersive, innovative and provocative pieces of theatre.

Mad Women examines the perceived madness of Mary Shelley, whose sensational personal life and the loss of her children found release in her novel Frankenstein;

World War and Sophie Walker works as an intelligence officer within MI5 today. The play conjoins the worlds of these female spies. Alongside this one act play, presented as a double bill, will be the Scratch Beneath Festival exploring what happens when new artists scratch beneath the surface of their potential to bring new ideas out into the world and present them as a mini show.

This includes First Night by Pete Maxey, Halb – Welt Kultur: The life of the Weimar Girls performed

by Stephanie Hampton, Postcards from Medea by Jose Gandia, The Lemons, written and performed by Lowri Jenkins plus Celyn Ebenezer performs her eerie one-woman show.

Whore is a re-imagined version of Barefaced’s previous play of the same name. It is a bold, daring insight into four of history’s most interesting prostitutes. Meet Theresa Berkley, a 19th Century Dominatrix, Marie Duplessis, a famous French courtesan, Polly Adler, a New York 1920’s brothel madam with heavy links to the mob, and Valerie Solanas, American prostitute turned Warhol assassin.

A Significant Role – a season of three new plays in repertory

By Barefaced Theatre 4 – 31 October Portobello Pop Up, 3 Acklam Road, W10 5TY (Times vary – performing most nights.)

All Tickets £10 During the intervals there is a bar, where wine will be supplied by Griffenwell Wines, serving both red and white wine at £4 per large glass. www.griffinwell.com Online booking www.eventelephant.com/madwomen www.eventelephant.com/BarefacedWhore www.eventelephant.com/allhiddenandscratch www.barefacedtheatre.com 19

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23/07/2012 16:51

ABSOLUTELY | A RTS & CULTURE

A REAL PRINCESS

Absolutely quizzes Lucy Worsley, chief curator of the Historic Royal Palaces – and television’s favourite female historian – about Kensington Palace’s recent makeover What is your favourite room in Kensington Palace?

I’d say the King’s Grand Staircase.

It has walls and ceiling decorated in the 1720s by the painter William Kent with 40 portraits of real-life servants who worked at the court of George I. It’s fascinating to come face-to-face with all these intriguing characters from below-stairs, who include the king’s Turkish valet, the princess’s milliner, and a feral child called ‘Peter the Wild Boy’ who was kept at court as a kind of human pet.

With which of the historical Kensington Princesses do you most identify?

Without a doubt, Queen Caroline (1683-1737). Wife of George II and completely underestimated, she was the fattest, funniest, jolliest and cleverest Queen Consort that we’ve ever had, and was Princess of Wales before that. She grew up in Germany, and was a great supporter of scientists and philosophers. She actually found the conventional duties of a princess a bit boring, and would invite all sorts of lively and unusual people to her court to cheer her up. She died horribly but

bravely, suffering from an umbilical hernia which took ten days to destroy her stomach.

What about your favourite dress from Diana’s collection?

My favourite is a dark-green velvet sleeveless evening dress by Catherine Walker, which we bought at auction for our dress collection a few years ago. It’s something the Princess of Wales wore only on private occasions, which makes it a bit special. You can see her wearing it for the last time in the famous photoshoot she did in 1997 for Vanity Fair with Mario Testino, just before auctioning all her party dresses for charity.

Since the refurbishment, more objects are now on display.

Where were they all kept before?

Is there a royal loft full of discarded ephemera?

Aha – well, what you see on display is still only part of the collection belonging to Historic Royal Palaces and The Royal Collection, a vast pool of art, artefacts and costume.

Those not on display at any particular moment are kept neatly

in museum-type storage facilities: all carefully numbered so that they can be retrieved when their moment in the spotlight comes. It’s a privilege to delve into the stores.

But rest assured, the very best things are out on display.

The palace refurbishment cost £12 million. What was the most expensive thing?

Works to the building itself. We have a grand new entrance leading into allnew public areas like the café, shop, ticket office and education suite. This was where our scruffy, back-of-house offices used to be.

Are there any palace ghosts?

Mm, there are lots of ‘stories’ about ghosts, but that doesn’t mean that I can guarantee you’ll see any actual spooks during your visit to Kensington Palace I’m afraid. One particularly long-standing story concerns the unhappy George II, who mopes around the Clock Tower, complaining that he wants to go back home to Germany where he was born. hrp.org.uk

IMAGES FROM TOP: LUCY WORSLEY, KING’S GRAND STAIRCASE AND DIANA PRINCESS OF WALES BY MARIO TESTINO

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BATTERSEA PARK LONDON 25 – 28 OCT 2012

CONTEMPORARY ART £40 – £4,000 AFFORDABLEARTFAIR.CO.UK

FULL PAGE.indd 1

HAMPSTEAD HEATH LONDON 1 – 4 NOV 2012

Fair sponsor

19/09/2012 12:29

ABSOLUTELY

Social

Reporting from all the best parties in our area PARTY IN PARADISE

Amber Le Bon and Kids Company hosted a party for Paradise by Way of Kensal Green’s fifth anniversary. Guests including Laura Bailey were seen dancing away to DJ sets by Ben Bridgewater and Dan Lywood before the Rizzle Kicks boys rolled up and shook up the dance floor. The main attraction of the night was the Mini photo booth, in an actual mini.

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DAMILOLA ODUSOYE

KIRSTY SAPSFORD

ANU SAMARUUTEL

STYLE ICONS

JUDY SALE

ABSOLUTELY JOE CHEN

Social

Debut Contemporary’s Stylish September private view attracted a super stylish crowd – as usual – to see a diverse range of work at this Westbourne Grove gallery.

Reporting from all the best parties in our area

BIG SCREAM

Westbourne Studios celebrated the launch of Rock & Roll F***k ‘n’Lovely, a dark and fantastical touring tale where rock’n’roll turns into a nightmare.

JOHN24 JENKINS & SPENCER PARTIES.indd 24

ALICE FRIAN & RICH DE ROSA

CARY CRANKSON

JOEL FRY

ANYON SAUNDERS

LEE WHITLOCK & JOSH BAGNALL 27/09/2012 16:08

feel different, be different

GYM POOL SPA, SAUNA & STEAM STUDIO CLASSES PILATES STUDIO PERSONAL TRAINING MASSAGE & ACUPUNCTURE NUTRITIONAL THERAPY PHYSIOTHERAPY

ABSOLUTE/SEPT12

YOGA

Experience our unique atmosphere BodyWorksWest is a boutique members’ health club

NOTTING HILL 020 7229 2291 WWW.BODYWORKSWEST.CO.UK

FULL PAGE.indd 1

27/09/2012 18:26

ABSOLUTELY | ST Y LE

THE LOOK Absolutely’s favourite catwalk trend

TEMPE RLEY LO NDON A /W

’12-13

Diane von Furstenberg, Victoria fox fur trim coat, £899; harrods.com

Zara Embroidered handbag, £39.99; zara.com

Sophie Gittins Gold mary janes, £345; sophiegittins.com

Alice By Temperley Silk-chiffon shirt, £325; net-a-porter.com

Russian Doll

Lanvin Draped lamé gown, £3,770; net-a-porter.com

Inspired by Keira Knightley in Anna Karenina, we are wrapping up in statement pieces and sparkles

Sermoneta Ladies gloves, £79.95; sermonetagloves.co.uk

Tomassa Tanzanite and diamond ring, £11,000; tomassa.com

Bundle Maclaren Kitty hat, £88; bundlemaclaren.co.uk

Roger Vivier Satin ribbon sandals, £704.97; luisaviaroma.com

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OFS_297x210mm_Full page AD_Zest Media.indd 1 Untitled-2 1

24/04/2012 17:00 20:31 27/04/2012

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ABSOLUTELY | ST Y LE

FASHION NOTES DIGITA L AGE

London-based designer Emma Cook is known for her impressive digital prints and the new collection, on the rails at Merchant Archive, is all about photomontages. With inspirations including nature and the surreal, Cook’s signature is instantly recognisable and quirkily likeable.

Central Saint Martins graduate Emma Cook worked for Donna Karan and Martine Sitbon before launching her own label.

Merchant Archive, 19 Kensington Park Road, W11 merchantarchive.com

C AMO

We are coveting this silk Sylvia Mina Camo print blouse from Whistles, whose Westbourne Grove store has had a stylish refit.

We’re coveting the entire collection, in fact. whistles.co.uk

BA ILE Y’S BAGS

Model Laura Bailey has been an ambassador for Radley for two seasons and now she has turned her hand to designing. Her new collection of bags includes this Aubrey clutch in tan, with its antique dog-clip clasp fastening and soft leather feel. radley.co.uk

V ISIONS A ND DECISIONS

Fashion Visions and Decisions is a new and eclectic sale that comes to the 20th Century Theatre this month. There will be vintage pieces dating from the 18th century to the 20th century, spanning museum quality stock as well as the cheap and cheerful, plus a bold collection of 1980s-influenced bags by Black Tangerine, wearable art from Carole Waller, unusual pieces from Swedish fashion house Ewa I Walla, chic styles from Semon Cashmere and recycled funky furs from 2nd To None. 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, W11; 07803 033629, 11 &12 October; entry £5 donation to Kids Company

ABSOLUTELY LOVES...

COATS Five of the best MICROTREND

Aubin and Wills, Threddingworth coat £350 aubinandwills.com

FASHION NEWS_v1.indd 29

Isabel Marant, Fergie suede collarless coat £2,420 matchesfashion.com

Sophie Hulme, Knitsleeve wool coat £679 other-shop.com

Givenchy, Bi-colour detachable-sleeve coat £2,645 matchesfashion.com ,

Freda, Elise shearling coat, £1,600 fredafashion.com

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27/09/2012 15:35

BUS STOP STYLE Lee Bender’s Bus Stop boutique defined a decade in Kensington Church Street – and now the W11-based designer has launched a range of memorabilia alongside a new gallery of illustrations

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ABSOLUTELY | ST Y LE

B

right red and unmissable, Bus Stop’s stylish boutique reigned on Kensington Church Street from 1969 to 1979, serving London’s new fashion-loving public with a fast-changing array of threads and ephemera.

This was the beginning of throwaway fashion, in an innocent way, when the concept of ‘disposable’ was exciting, not unethical. And fuelling the whole industry was Lee Bender’s unstoppable design talent and her then husband Cecil’s textile factory, where everything was made fast and cheap. The shop

ran out of stock on its first day of trading, and reopened with refilled rails the next day.

Bender worked on her designs in a studio behind the shop, and everything in the shop was hers. Belts, jewellery, scarves and all the clothes. Bus Stop pioneered the revivals of Fair Isle knits and tartan; it went through phases of jumpsuits and culottes, military and safari, asymmetrical tops and 1940s shoulders, bikinis, Op Art and florals, cheesecloth and seersucker, fake fur and satin as well as countless other crazes over the course of its ten-year reign.

Fast forward to 2012 and while Bus Stop is long gone, Bender is still in Notting Hill.

She had all but forgotten about

Bus Stop until the V&A showed some interest a few years ago, and she went through her cuttings to produce a book. But she’s very unsentimental, and doesn’t care for nostalgia. She says: ‘It’s not my thing to keep clothes. I’ve always been interested in the future, not the past. And like most people who make something, I get embarrassed by my own things so I never kept anything.’ The V&A would have held an exhibition about Bus Stop, if she’d had the clothes, but she never kept any, so they didn’t.

These days, she continues to pursue her original passion, illustration – and has started selling a range of prints online. She has also, uncharacteristically, launched a range of Bus Stop memorabilia spanning t-shirts, mugs, aprons and scarves, because the legacy of Bus Stop continues. leebender.co.uk All prints, vintage and current, available to buy at busstoplondon.co.uk 31

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27/09/2012 16:00

A new leaf Autumn shades are bright and bold PHOTOGRAPHY: MIREIA GRAU STYLIST: OLIVIA MONTARDIT

Blouse, £1100, Christian Dior; Jersey, £600, Kenzo; Skirt, £208, Tara Jarmon; Scarf, £450, Hermès; Ruffle, £35, B&L; Socks, £16, Burlington

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Jersey, £500, Isabel Marant; Cardigan, £275, Aggabarti; Trousers, £450, Kenzo; Scarf, £450, Hermè; Belt, £325, Loewe; Scarf, £270, Versace

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Swimsuit – Lisa Maree £145 Jersey, £1190,Farrow Céline; Husky, Sunglasses – Linda Luxe £127 Sandro; Lorenzi Skirt, £198, Shoes£265, – Gianmarco £585 Tara Jarmon; £310, BraceletScarf, – Azuni £66 Versace; Belt, £670, Hermès , Shoes, £POA, Sixty Seven Socks as before

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Blouse, £850, Céline; Trousers, £459, True Royal; Bow, £190, Hermès Vintage; Stole, £85, Coralia Leets; Ring, £POA, Essential; Shoes, £213, Saffir

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Blouse, £274, Diane VonFurstenberg; Cardigan, £POA; Belt, £POA, Essentiel; Trousers, £284, Tara Jarmon; Shoes, £275, Chie Mihara; Right Arm Bracelet, £69, Azuni

STOCKISTS Céline – celine.com Hermès – www.hermes.com Tara Jarmon – my-wardrobe.com Burlington – www.burlingtonsocks.com Isabel Marant –www.net-a-porter.com Aggabarti – www.aggabartiwebstore.com Loewe – www.loewe.com Versace – www.versace.com Sandro – www.sandro-paris.co.uk True Royal – www.farfetch.com Coralia Leets – www.coralialeets.com Essentiel – www.essentiel.be Diane Von Furstenburg – www.uk.dvf.com Chie Mihara – www.chiemihara.com Saffir – www.solestruck.com Stella McCartney – www.stellamccartney.com

CREDITS Photographer: Mireia Grau Stylist: Olivia Montardit Make-up, hair and nails Ruben Marmol Model Ksenia Golubeva @ View Management

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27/09/2012 17:41

LORD OF THE DANCE Mark Elie is one of the world’s few black ballet dancers. As he celebrates 20 years of Portobello Dance, he tells Pendle Harte his story

T

he world of ballet is drama-filled. ‘Have you seen Black Swan? It’s a very good portrayal,’ says Mark Elie, laughing. He’s clearly not the kind to be brought down by any ballerina behaviour, though. Elie oozes charisma and confidence and in the tough world of dance, he’s been a stand-out contender since he started out as a youngster.

Which is all the more unusal because Elie is black, and ballet is a very white world.

The English National Ballet has two black dancers out of a total of 64; the Bolshoi Ballet has not a single black dancer in its troupe of 218. There are even fewer black women in ballet than there are men, and this is a scenario that Elie has been working to change, with his Clasically British platform, for a decade.

Elie is a Portobello personality.

Often to be spotted cycling through the market, you can immediately tell by his poise that he’s a dancer.

He’s got that natural grace, the

elegant gesture. Elie was quite clearly born to dance and this month he is celebrating 20 years of his Portobello Dance School, and ten years of his organisation Clasically British, both of them based at the Tabernacle, which is where we meet. Elie orders muesli at a sunny table outside and and puts on his sunglasses. ‘I love the Tabernacle. It’s my foundation. I call it the little man’s Albert Hall,’ he gushes. Every Saturday, his dance school attracts 150 people aged from three to adult to Powis Square and over the past two decades he has taught young dancers who have gone on to perform all over the world. Among them is Kym Alexander (pictured overleaf) who is currently completing an apprenticeship with Ballet Rambert and tipped for future stardom.

Now aged 52, Elie gave up dancing over 10 years ago to focus on teaching and choreography. As a rare black man in an industry made up mostly of white women, his journey has been an unusual one. Having grown up in a children’s 39

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home in Little Venice, where he spent his time ‘dancing in front of the television’, a supportive aunt took him to audition at Ballet Rambert, and he was accepted with a scholarship.

‘But it wasn’t easy because not only was I the only boy in the class, but the only black child too,’ he says. ‘And I had never seen a black ballerina. Plus, I wasn’t academic and at my normal primary school I was what they would refer to as ‘artistically-minded.’ Not in a complimentary way. Elie has been on a mission to promote dance for young people ever since, espcially black boys who would not often be encouraged to take up ballet. Why are there no black people in ballet?

It’s not something he has a clear answer for. There’s no tradition of it. Ballet shoes come in peachy flesh colours. The industry is insular. Can you immediately tell who has talent? ‘Oh yes. Even among the three year-olds, you can always tell.’

Do dancers really have to start that young?

‘They say it takes ten years to make a dancer. So usually they should start when they’re eight.’

Elie’s talent for dance was obvious to everyone and after Rambert he went to the Dance Theatre of Harlem, where he was no longer the only black man and found lots of role models from the international world of dance. From there, Elie’s dance involvement in musicals has included The Wiz, Mutiny on the

Bounty, Joseph and Y, while his choreography has spanned television, motion pictures, pop promos and fashion shows. Having travelled the world dancing, he returned to London to work with his mentor Carol Straker. The Carol Straker Academy began to highlight the lack of clasically trained black British dancers, and the fact that there were no black British stars at all in the entire world of ballet, a subject that was widely negelcted in the idustry. ‘There’s an organisation called Ballet Black, but most of the dancers there are American. I was interested in the lack of black British dancers, so I used Black History Month as a platform to address it and launched Clasically British in 2002.’ Clasically British has promoted and encouraged black dancers ever since.

Elie stopped actuall dancing in his late 30s,. He wanted to go out on a high. ‘I had seen dancers being rude and disrespectful about my hero Rudolf Nureyev in his later days and I didn’t want to go there. I’d done everything, I wasn’t sad.’ But fit, youthful and graceful, Elie is still going strong.

Happy Birthday to his organisations.

‘I was the only boy in the class, and I had never seen a black ballerina’

A BIRTHDAY PERFORMANCE Portobello Dance and Clasically British are celebrating their anniversaries with a special performance at the Tabernacle on 25 October. The event includes neo-classical ballet set to music as diverse as classical, pop, r’n’b, hiphop, ambient and techno. with senior students from Portobello Dance as well as ethnic minority British dancers and choreographers. There will be short films, a photographic exhibition, a Q&A session and live performance.

6.30 for 7.30pm, 25 October , The Tabernacle. Tickets £10 on the door.

Dress rehearsal 12.30 for 1.30pm, £5. portobellodance.org.uk

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gallery

CALKEN gallery is renowned for its emphasis on figurative bronze sculpture, and is home to the exquisite artwork of Royal Academy, Landseer Prize winning sculptor, Michael Talbot.

The sculpture is presented in relaxing, elegant surroundings, together with a refreshing variety of paintings from established and emerging artists.

The gallery is situated in Kensington Church Street, one of London’s destination streets and only a short walk from neighbouring Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens.

117 Kensington Church Street London W8 7LN Telephone: +44 (0)20 7998 6446

Email: info@calkengallery.com

www.calkengallery.com

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A WOMAN’S WORK:

Bridget O’Donnell A new series on women’s working lives.

Bridget O’Donnell, novelist, NW10

INTERVIEW LINDSAY BAKER PORTRAIT EMMA HARPIN

A

s she sits in the airy study of her Kensal Rise home, surrounded by books and research material, Bridget O’Donnell looks every inch the established author. In fact, Inspector Minahan Makes a Stand is her debut book, and for years, she was a ‘secret writer’, unwilling to admit even to herself that writing was what she really wanted to do. She had already forged a glittering career as a producer and director in television and radio when she finally decided to walk away from it. It must have been a hard decision.

‘I just thought, it’s now or never.

I kept thinking of the quote from Strictly Ballroom,’ she recalls with a laugh, ‘A life lived in fear is a life half-lived, and I kept telling myself, I’m not chicken’.

At the time she was pregnant with her first child so it felt like a natural moment for a change of direction, and fortunately she was able to take the ‘cushion’ of voluntary redundancy. First, she went about converting the attic into a study, complete with a solid oak desk from eBay and an elegant, mid-century Ernest Race armchair. ‘I knew if I created a space for me then things would lead on from that.’ She wrote a play, Lie Back In Anger, that was staged in a three-week run at the Union Theatre in Southwark in 2006.

‘That meant I had to admit to my

secret ambition. I had been afraid people would laugh – but they didn’t.’

She then went on to complete an MA at City University in creative non-fiction writing, and now, here she is, the proud author of Inspector Minahan, just published by Picador.

The book tells the remarkable – and true – story of a heroic policeman who exposed the ‘white slave trade’ of young girls in the 1880s. With sex trafficking, police corruption, terrorist bombs and a tabloid war all at the centre of the story, there are many contemporary

pubs like the Man In The Moon in the Kings Road feature along with several notorious high-class brothels near the Chelsea Arts Club. There is even a Notting Hill figure, Henry Varley, a preacher who opened the Tabernacle to house his followers.

While writing the book, Bridget ‘immersed’ herself completely in 19th-century life, though was always happy – when she came up for air – to find herself in modern-day west London. She is a big fan of Portobello and the boutiques on Westbourne Grove, and she loves Kensal Rise. ‘It’s endlessly creative and surprising, and also supportive, all the mums at the school are doing something interesting – there are artists, designers, photographers. It’s a friendly place.’

With Inspector Minahan already generating a buzz, plus her partner, Jes Wilkins, with a busy career in TV (he is co-creator of the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding series) and their two children, Orly, 8, and Arlo, 6, it seems Bridget has plenty on her plate. Nevertheless, she has already started planning her next book – to be set in the 1920s. Looks like her days of surreptitious ‘secret writing’ are well and truly over.

She was a ‘secret writer’, unwilling to admit that writing was what she wanted to do parallels, and the book is full of twists and turns that make it a real page-turner. ‘I learnt in TV that you need a good narrative to get a message across,’ she says. And the message is? ‘Making a stand is a brave thing to do and can make a real difference.’ The inspector’s actions helped to change this country’s vice laws that protect our children to this day. ‘It’s a serious subject, but I wanted the book to be accessible not stuffy.’

It is meticulously researched (‘I’m like a terrier with research – wherever a door closes, another one opens,’), and Londoners in particular will be intrigued by the setting –

Inspector Minahan Makes a Stand

by Bridget O’Donnell is published

by Picador (£16.99).

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PORTRAIT OF A LADY Absolutely quizzes Rachel Johnson on life as a Lady and reveals the secret of her fabulous physique‌

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How has your life changed since becoming editor of The Lady and sister to the Mayor?

I’m now editor in chief so I don’t go in every day but for some reason I am busier than ever...

I’ve been fi lming a documentary on social history for the BBC (it’s out this autumn on BBC4 and the word “Lady” will be in the title). I’m amazed by how fiddly and timeconsuming telly is compared to writing – I can write a piece on my smartphone in the bath (and do) but with pictures, you have to think about sound, the shot, continuity…not to mention my hair which has a life of its own and frankly deserves its own reality TV series.

Life hasn’t changed for me since my bro became Mayor, but since you ask, what has changed is the number of times a day I am asked about him or it or the Olympics or whatever. Of course I manage to remain icily polite at all times.

Is your day-to-day extremely glamorous? What are the highlights?

I hope it appears glamorous.

I do however spend the requisite amount of time taking teenagers to the orthodontist, going to Sainsbury’s, walking the dog etc, I promise. The highlights are meeting people I admire.

And I do admit I went to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics (thanks to a friend not a brother I add). That seems to impress people.

And downsides?

There are no downsides to life.

Every day is a bonus.

How do you cope with your busy schedule and three children?

I cope.

You are known for your frankness – does it get you into trouble?

Constantly. I always manage to

RACHEL ON HER NEW FITNESS DISCOVERY

ask people the wrong question and say the one thing you’re never supposed to say. If only I could fi nd a way – like Mrs Merton – of making this facility to put foot in it PAY. You have another life in the countryside too – is it compatible with editing The Lady?

See above. It’s four hours from London and half an hour from Tarmac. That keeps me sane.

Can you tell us five of your favourite places in Notting Hill?

Lutyens and Rubinstein bookshop in Kensington Park Road; the Tea & Coffee Plant; the Electric Cinema; Portobello Road generally and the market traders (please support them everyone); The Grocer on Elgin and of course Powervibe (see column).

And five least favourite things about the area?

Too crowded on Saturday. The buses in Ladbroke Grove. The fact that it’s full of rich bankers….

Are you working on another novel?

My new one Winter Games is out in November (Penguin) thank you for asking! All your Christmas present problems solved.

I am a firm believer that exercise works better than any drug. If I am grumpy, a run, a couple of sets of singles, a walk up a vertical cleeve on Exmoor, preferably during an extreme weather event, sort me out. I cheer up, and feel much better, both during and after physical activity of almost any sort (I am not mad about ironing and leaf-sweeping).

You know those forms at doctors’, the ones where you pretend you only drink a couple of units a week? Well, I’d never dream of admitting how much I do, actually, drink, but am always horribly keen to overshare when it comes to exercise. I try to do an hour a day to try to keep me sane. I walk, run, play tennis. Having a dog means you have to go outside, and I am evangelical about being outside. And now I can add another string to the already taut bow.

Power Plate. I’m already evangelical about it, and it’s not even outside.

Basically, it’s a machine, with a platform, a tower, and handles. You can work out on it any number of body-shaping combinations and speeds. Yes, speed.

It’s a machine that vibrates, and stimulates your muscles to contract and relax. In normal exercise they do this once or twice a second, but with Power Plate, I am told they do it 30-50 times a second. Which is why it’s so effective, and so knackering. The experts call it the microwave of exercise techniques, because results you need to sweat over an hour to get ‘normal’ oven-cooking can be achieved in a fraction of the time: they reckon just 25 minutes of Power Plate equates to an hour and fifteen minutes of conventional training in a gym. With power Plate you are using your own body weight so you can’t bulk up instead you get long lean muscles.

So I now pop along to a studio in Notting Hill once a week, where Ronnie puts me through my paces for only 25 minutes. Afterwards, my head and body feel as if I’ve been through the Hadron Collider but in terms of fitness, the results are dramatic, after only a few sessions (£20 in a class, £40 for a private session with a trainer).

So much so that after just three weeks, I was in my tennis club, playing a set of doubles, and ended up playing singles with a burly, and very athletic TV presenter: male, 6ft 3in of him. Well, reader, all I can tell you is that I was thrashing him and he was dripping with sweat and he called a halt to the set when he was 3-5 down. It was as if – and I have witnesses – I had morphed into Superwoman, and the only reason I can imagine I was stronger, and fitter, was because of Powervibe, and I can proudly boast I can add another addiction (along with caffeine, tennis, Downton Abbey, etc) to the list for 2012.

Powervibe Fitness Studio 95A Westbourne Park Villas W2 020 7229 9614 powervibe.co.uk

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RUGGER BEEZ.indd 1

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SUNDAYS IN PARADISE

ROASTS, RECORDS, BLOODY MARYS & THE PAPERS THE PERFECT END TO YOUR WEEK. 020 8969 0098

www.theparadise.co.uk FULL PAGE.indd 1

27/09/2012 15:40

ABSOLUTELY | HEA LTH & BEAUT Y

BEAUTY NOTES BERRY NICE

Jo Malone London’s newest launch, Blackberry and Bay cologne, channels childhood memories of blackberry picking along with the freshness of just-gathered bay and brambly woods.

It’s a pure delight. £76 for 100ml, jomalone.co.uk

S W EE T LIK E HONE Y Everyone knows that honey is one of nature’s best medicines – and new to the shelves at Pembridge Road’s Notting Hill Pharmacy is BronchoMel, a special healing honey made by feeding healing herbs to bees. Sage, bay, elderberry, eucalyptus, and chamomile all contain soothing properties such as anti-bacterial, antiseptic and natural immune boosters, which are commonly known to relieve the symptoms of many respiratory ailments including asthma. Two teaspoons of this nectar promise to ward away the dread winter coughing. nuvitalityproducts.com

3

OF THE BEST

UNDER RE V IE W

Angela Sacre finds relaxation at last at Queensway’s Spa & Massage

CONCEALERS

Clinique’s Even Better Eyes is not exactly a concealer but it makes a marked improvement – so much so that you won’t even need concealer. £28 clinique.co.uk Clarins Instant Light – smoothing, illuminating and tightening, all in one brush. £25, clarins.co.uk

By Terry Touch Expert Advanced Concealer improves on the original Touch Expert in a handy all-in-one brush. £28.50, spacenk.com

After working many long hours stuck in front of a computer, my back was due a bit of TLC. I was greeted by a calm and tranquil oasis, where I was given a head-to-toe deep tissue rubdown by the lovely Noi, who made me feel completely at ease. Now after two visits my back feels more like its normal self and I can now look forward to my next visit.

123 Queensway W2; 020 7792 5429 spaandmassage.co.uk

R AINB OW RUNNING

The wonderful but long-disused Rainbow Room in the old Biba building on Kensington High Street is finally reopened to the public. But don’t expect parties, balls or bands. Instead, there are rows and rows of running machines. Equinox, America’s premier fitness club, is opening its doors to customers outside the US for the first time this month, and they have chosen the iconic former Rainbow Rooms site as their new home. Members will be able to enjoy a wide-ranging collection of group fitness classes, cutting-edge equipment, and highest quality personal training, plus a juice bar and a modern and inviting lounge. equinox.com

S TOP PRESS

New from EF Medispa is the Pin it to Win it challenge, where winning pinners on Pinterest will be treated to a course of permanent pain-free laser bikini hair removal. Visit pinterest.com/efmedispa for more details.

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ABSOLUTELY | HEA LTH & BEAUT Y

02 01 03

05

04

10

Line of Beauty

Absolutely’s favourite haircare hero products

09

09 06 08

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1: Diptyque Satin Oil for Hair and Body, £35; diptyqueparis.co.uk 2: L’Oreal Professional Mythic Oil Masque, £16.80; lorealprofessionnel.co.uk 3: Serge Normant Meta Morphosis Hair Repair Treatment, £56; available exclusively at uk.spacenk.com 4: Ojon Damage Reverse™ Restorative Hair Treatment, £32.50; ojon.co.uk 5: Philip B White Truffle Ultra-Rich Moisturising Shampoo, £50; cultbeauty.co.uk 6: NUXE Huile Prodigieuse® Multi-use Dry Oil Spray for Face, Body and Hair, £28.50; feelunique.com 7: Rahua Finishing Treatment, £38; liberty.co.uk 8: Percy & Reed Brilliantly Beautiful Superglossing Mask, £18; percyandreed.com 9: Michael Van Clarke 3 More Inches Pre-wash Treatment, £29; 3moreinches.com 10: Phyto Secret De Nuit, £27.50; johnlewis.com 50

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FULL PAGE.indd 1

12/09/2012 18:17

ABSOLUTELY | PROMOTION

WRINKLE BUSTING OFFER Waterhouse Young Clinic is offering Absolutely readers a complimentary computerised skin consultation and 20% off your Botox or dermal filler treatment when booked on the day of consultation.

To book, call 020 7486 3849 or visit waterhouse young.com

FRESH, NOT FROZEN

BOTOX MYTH BUSTERS 1. Botox freezes your facial expressions You can choose to have a more frozen look, but it’s not necessary.

By injecting small, precise amounts we can soften the lines, but keep movement around the eye area, so you’ll still have your facial expressions.

2. Botox is toxic Botox is a purified form of Botulinum toxin. The concentration of the toxin is very low and when it’s injected in pinpoint amounts it won’t spread to other areas of the body, making it a safe treatment.

3. Botox is painful Most people only feel a mild, stinging sensation, however, some find the treatment uncomfortable.

Mica has a lot of experience and skill with Botox injections and many clients comment on her soft touch.

In addition, the Waterhouse Young clinic use a revolutionary new technique to numb the area and minimise any discomfort.

The treatment is over before you know it.

The Waterhouse Young Clinic’s gentle approach to wrinkle-free skin

I

of like many people, you believe that Botox can only achieve results by freezing your natural facial expressions, it’s time to think again. Dr Mica Engel, one of Waterhouse Young’s cosmetic doctors, unravels the myths about Botox and shares her secret to a fresh, wrinklefree appearance without frozen features.

What’s Botox used for?

Botox is used to treat frown lines, crow’s feet, ‘bunny’ lines on the nose, smile lines and to tighten the skin around the neck and jowls. It’s also become popular for treating excessive sweating of the armpits, hands, feet and forehead, and teeth grinding (which can cause headaches and damage to teeth).

Does Botox still have a stigma?

People used to think that if you’d had Botox it gave you status.

Now it’s an everyday treatment.

The stigma surrounding it is far less than it used to be, and with a conservative approach no one need ever know you’ve had it done.

How can I look fresh, not frozen?

When you smile or frown the muscles in your face contract, causing lines and wrinkles.

Over time these lines become permanent. Botox works by relaxing the muscle, but too much can stop all movement, which gives a frozen look. We prefer to subtly enhance your features, rather than give you a stiff, unnatural look, so we take a conservative approach.

We start by injecting very small amounts into precise points in the muscle thus softening wrinkles but keeping some muscle movement.

We’ll see you two weeks later to make sure you’re happy with the results and, if needed, we’ll finetune them by giving you a top-up treatment.

Who should carry out Botox?

Botox is a prescribed medicine, so you’ll meet one of our aesthetic doctors for a full skin consultation.

If you decide together that it’s the right treatment for you, they’ll prescribe it. Botox injections should only be given by a qualified doctor with relevant training – at our clinic they are always carried

out by one of our aesthetic doctors.

Ideally, you should choose someone registered with regulatory body, the British College of Aesthetic Medicine. All our aesthetic doctors and nurses are registered.

What are the alternatives?

While Botox is effective and safe, there are alternatives, such as: • Dermal fillers, which are injected into the skin to plump it up and smooth lines; • Dermaroller, a micro skinneedling treatment that triggers the body into regenerating collagen and elastin, making it perfect for treating scarring, facial and décolleté lines and overall skin rejuvenation; and • Medical Facials, which give a temporary result by plumping up the skin to soften lines, making them appear reduced.

We’ll talk you through your choices at the consultation to help you find the right treatment for you.

Whatever you decide, we’ll always take a gentle approach to leave you with wrinkle-free skin that makes you feel great.

52

ADVTL WATERHOUSE.indd 52

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FULL PAGE.indd 1

27/09/2012 14:40

ABSOLUTELY | PROMOTION

Sculpt Your Body Slim in Six Weeks Louise Parker and her dedicated team are ready to bust your body into shape for spring

THE INTENSIVE PERSONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME was devised by celebrity trainer Louise Parker over 12 years ago and has since changed the body shape of hundreds of individuals. Her experience ranges from helping clients recover from long-term obesity, to taking care of some of the most beautiful bodies in the world.

The unique programme combines six hours a week of her exercise method, alongside a rigorous dietary overhaul, for a six-week period.

“Each week we train you in four 90-minute sessions in the comfort of your own home – bringing the gym to you and saving precious time,” says Louise. “Some clients choose to do three 90-minute sessions over an eight-week period and the results are still exceptional.”

The Intensive employs exercise and diet methods that radically shift body fat and totally re-sculpt the body, without compromising metabolism. “It’s so important to teach our clients how to boost their metabolism so that once they have lost the weight they can easily keep it off,” she notes. “So many diets will get the weight off but your metabolism will come to a grinding halt or they are just not sustainable.”

The programme’s emphasis on resistance work and an intelligent eating plan ensure the results that clients achieve are long lasting and, most of all, easy to maintain. “No aspect of what we do is extreme,”

she explains. “Every element of the plan is sensible, researched and proven to work. But what we do is put it all together to create massive transformations in our clients’ bodies and lifestyles.

“My team are world class and without doubt some of the best in the country. Most come from a Sports Science background and we have two Olympic athletes amongst us. We all share a friendly, no-nonsense approach and between us we offer an unrivalled service to our clients. I’m hugely proud to have such a talented and committed team behind me.”

with, and what has to be done to return you to your former glory.”

Louise Parker designs each programme with one of her team before the programme commences, based on the individual’s requirements and deadlines. A rigid, yet balanced food plan is devised, ensuring optimal results.

Louise personally monitors your diet diary on a daily basis to ensure you are on the right track and that you get all the support and motivation you need to succeed. In six weeks, you will emerge looking better than you thought you ever could. What Louise Parker does isn’t gimmicky, it is instead an intelligent combination of three factors – nutrition, training and lifestyle – delivered in just the right combination.

“Providing you have made the decision to change and are willing to let us guide you,” she asserts, “You simply cannot fail – clients routinely drop two dress sizes on the Intensive.”

There are many bespoke programmes available, and following a telephone consultation, Louise will advise a suitable programme and schedule to suit any objective, lifestyle and budget. Louise asks that new clients commit to a minimum of three hours per week to ensure that they achieve amazing results.

You simply cannot fail clients routinely drop two dress sizes on the Intensive Louise Parker believes anyone can have a fantastic body – regardless of age, body type and starting point: “By following my method, you really will be blown away by how you can change your body shape, overall fitness and exceed your own expectations.”

Her programme is suitable for anyone wanting exceptional results, in record time. The Intensive is hugely popular with clients needing to be what she calls ‘red-carpet ready’ – whether that’s for a wedding, new job-role or even the school run.

“I love helping post-natal mums,” she explains. “Since I had my daughters in quick succession, I fully understand the challenges new mothers are faced

Louise Parker Personal Training, 2 Eaton Gate, SW1W 9BJ 0800 084 2828 55

ADVTL LOUISE PARKER.indd 55

27/09/2012 15:10

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ABSOLUTELY | PROMOTION

GOODBYE SUMMER HELLO TO THE HOTTEST EVER YOU!

EF MEDISPA are putting a fresh face and a better body on autumn by offering the best the UK has to offer in bespoke beauty plans!

A

Sense that? The crispness of the air as it begins to chill, the jostle of leaves in the trees as they prepare for their downward flight – and the scent of juicy apples as they come into season. Autumn doesn’t just signal the end of summer – it kickstarts the beginning of a time for renewal and change.

And with their top-to-toe menu of treatments, award-winning clinic EF MEDISPA will help you wipe the slate clean on summer sun care slip-ups, turn the clock back on your body after one too many beachside ice creams – and head into October looking better than you ever believed possible!

Memories of warm seas and white sands are all very well, but if postsun pigmentation or even more serious melasma have become the souvenirs of your summer holiday, there’s a way to leave your skin issues firmly behind you.

From peels to high-tech lasers for pigmentation reduction, the latest ultrasound treatments to SOS spot treatments when you have skin Mayday moment, EF MEDISPA’s team of expert technicians will cherry pick from the latest and greatest treatments

and create a winning combination that’s bespoke to your needs – and gets you better results by far!

Autumnal dryness will be gone, rosacea will retreat – and for those that want a little extra lift, an entirely custom-made combination plan of advanced facial fillers, microneedling and firming treatments will help you recover your jaw line, add plumpness to you cheeks and give skin back a luminous glow as the sun sets on summer. And while it may be tempting to retreat into your cosy jumpers and warm woolly tights, leaving your body to surrender to the covered-up season - book in now for a course of tailored-to-you treatments and you’ll be reaping the rewards and collecting the compliments well before winter even has a chance to kick in!

The days of overnight hospital stays are long gone now that EF MEDISPA’s advanced range of solutions for all body dilemmas includes minimally invasive Vaser Lipo and Breast Enhancement.

Within hours, the EF MEDISPA maestros will whittle your waist, create your dream cleavage, slim those bingo wings and perfect long, lean pins. Leaving you to breeze through autumn in the smuggest of

styles – dreaming of the entrance you’ll make when party season swings by!

Before

After

Before and after peels for pigmentation

69 St John’s Wood High Street London NW8 7NL 020 7449 6925 29 Kensington Church Street London W8 4LL 020 7361 1005 193 Kings Road London SW3 5ED 020 7368 7674 efmedispa.com twitter.com/estherfieldgras efmedispa.com/news/ youtube.com/user/EFmedispa pinterest.com/efmedispa

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ABSOLUTELY | PROMOTION

Skin success Clear skin is the speciality at Peach on the Hill, as clients from all over the world know

P

each on the Hill is an independent aesthetic salon dedicated to treating all skin types and conditions.

Dedicated to optimising and maximising skin’s potential, the salon scooped the title of Salon of the Year 2012 from the International Institute of AntiAgeing for the UK, which was a very exciting achievement.

Karen has worked in the area for 17 years and seen the industry develop. Now at Peach on the Hill she is keen to push the boundaries of skincare, while keeping it all non-invasive. And as testimony to her talents, she has clients from all over London as well as Dorset, Wiltshire and all over the world, who return to Peach for what they believe are the best facials anywhere.

New solution for problem skin New for autumn is revolutionary acne treatment, Acumax. This is a vitamin taken orally to deal with the problem internally allowing the salon to treat it externally.

Usually when people take medication for acne it can be very destructive to the rest of the body and will often only mask

a problem, but newly launched Acumax has been five years in the making, with much research and clinical trial. Itwill restore inner balance, clearing skin conditions ranging from full acne to just bad congestion while being easily digested by the stomach.

Stimulate your skin growth factors Also new is the Cool Peel, a skin peel based on low level lactic acid which is gradually built up to clear and freshen the skin without the aggressive stripping effects of traditional peels. This is excellent for pigmentation, photo-damaged and congested skins. Plus – excitingly – this can treat any type of rosacea and reddened skin with the result of taking sensitivity down or in some cases away, giving clients a flawless yet healthy skin.

Thanks to Peach’s work with Environ Skin Care over the years, all aestheticians can deal with any type of with confidence, and will always endeavour to deliver the best facials with no hard sell or pushy practices – just good honest treatments you will want to come back for.

They also offer endermolgie cellulite treatments, IPL hair removal and photo

rejuvenation, CACI non surgical face lifting, and (one of the most amazing treatments with excellent firming results) medical needling.

They will combine any of these with each other to give the most personalised treatment for the client.

140 Campden Hill Road W8 7AS 020 7221 9464 peachonthehill.com

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27/09/2012 17:25

ABSOLUTELY | HEA LTH & BEAUT Y

Diary of

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YOGA TEACHER FROM PORTOBELLO Shakti Ananda (38, real name Annabel) used to work in fashion PR. But after reading Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, she had an ‘A-ha’ moment and gave it up. After completing her TTC at the Sivananda Centre in Madurai, she’s now a fully accredited yoga teacher. She’s also a Reiki Master and Lightworker. Her mission, aside from becoming enlightened in this lifetime, is to heal those around her and help humanity in its transition from fear to love.

16 High Street Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 9DU Tel: 01458 832061

Four Seasons_quarter_FINAL.indd 1

125 Notting Hill Gate, London, W11 3LB Tel: 0207 221 8323

105 High Street, Somerset, BA16 OEY Tel: 01458V 442500 Fax: 01458 447908

21/06/2012 10:28

7.am Wake and do an hour of Pranayama. Guru Darren says that this is very effective way to raise my vibration.

8.28 am Make self a quinoa, kelp and Udo oil energy shake.

9.07 am Meditate on heart chakra.

9.15 am Interrupted by Lydia stomping around upstairs in her big clumsy shoes. She really is so selfish.

9.17 am Return to heart chakra meditation. Guru Darren says that the heart is more intelligent than the brain and that it is humanity’s journey right now to move from the head to the heart.

9.19 am Hear Lydia clomping down the communal stairs. Go out into hallway and tell her that her shoes are very noisy and are interrupting my heart chakra meditation.

9.21 am Lydia tells me to f**k off.

9.24 am I tell Lydia that she is a very low vibrational being who will never evolve.

9.27 am Back to meditation. Can really feel heart chakra opening.

10.56 am Spend two hours working on my novel – a contemporary story about a Hatha yoga teacher living in west London with all the challenges that may bring.

1.21 pm Ring Guru Darren to ask what time his afternoon Darshan at MyYoga is.

2.17 pm Am having trouble deciding whether to wear my white yoga pants and green (good for heart chakra) Brora cashmere jumper, or my purple yoga pants (good for third eye chakra) and pale blue Brora cashmere jumper.

4.58 pm Arrive early at MyYoga to get good seat near Guru Darren.

He has such amaaaazing energy. He is a genuine High Vibrational.

7.18 pm Two hour Darshan with Guru Darren goes in a flash.

Afterwards he tells us that this is the most important time in humanity’s history when we will be moving from fear-based behaviour to love-based behaviour. He’s so right.

8.12 pm Ask Guru Darren if he would like to go for a chai tea sometime. He says he might be able to fit me in Tuesday week.

8.58 pm On tube home try to connect energetically with Guru Darren. Can really feel his energy in my root chakra.

9.56 pm Get home and fall asleep immediately. Dream that Guru Darren and I are conducting weekly workshops to help humanity move from fear-based behaviour to love-based behaviour.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Baba Ganoush

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16/07/2012 13:09

27/09/2012 15:26

ABSOLUTELY | K IDS

TODDLER CLOBBER Indikidual’s new range of wearable, practical pieces for toddlers is brightly coloured and unfussy, all made from organic cotton and designed to be mixed and matched. Behind the label is Kensal Rise-based Syreeta Johnson, who’s definitely one to watch. indikidual.com FROTHY FROCKS Every girl loves a tutu. And these super frothy ones from Le Petit Tom are the ultimate in layered, spinny, fantasy-wear. Each one even comes with its own miniature version for your doll too. Toot toot. £45; kidsen.co.uk

TINY TOES

Absolutely TINIES

Vevien’s luxe baby booties are just the thing for stylish pre-walkers to wear at weddings. Beautifully handcrafted in the UK, these miniature shoes (age three months to two years) are keepsakes to remind you of the tininess that was. vevien.co.uk

How to keep them amused

CHESS AT THE IDLER The Idler has started a Saturday morning chess class for children and adults, taught by expert player John Foley. What better on a weekend than hanging out over a hot chocolate and mastering this most intellectual of games?

020 7221 5908; idler.co.uk/events/chess-course

IF...

Just published by Canongate is IF’s Treasury of Poems for Almost Every Possibility, a follow-up to IF’s hugely successful poetry app (it outsold Angry Birds in its launch month) devised by two Notting Hill mums, Allie Esiri and Rachel Kelly. The book version is a beautifully illustrated (thanks to Natasha Law) anthology for children of all ages, including classics from Lear and Tennyson as well as contemporary verse from Carol Ann Duffy and John Agard. £20; canongate.tv

KITTY KITTY Absolutely tinies will adore these Hello Kitty nail varnishes, launching at Superdrug this month, £4.99 each.

SHADES OF GREY For those last rays of sunshine, Claire Goldsmith’s range of children’s sunglasses are stylish and candycoloured – and they offer real protection too. Ages 4-14; clairegoldsmith.com 60

KIDS.indd 60

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HALF HORIZONAL.indd 1

27/09/2012 15:27

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ADVERT PLACEMENTS.indd 5

27/09/2012 19:11

62

FOOD INTERVIEW BILL GRANGER.indd 62

27/09/2012 15:41

ABSOLUTELY | FOOD A ND TR AV EL

A RAY OF SUNSHINE

Australian restaurateur and chef Bill Granger has made Notting Hill his permanent base. Katie Randall catches up with the foodie to discuss his latest cookery book, his laid-back Aussie mentality and why dolphin won’t be on the menu at his restaurant anytime soon

B

ill Granger is potentially one of the happiest men I have ever encountered.

As I wait for him to pick up the telephone for our chat, my mind runs through the usual thoughts – key questions and things to remember, and whether we’ll have any signal interference turning one of us into temporarily incomprehensible Dalecks – but the Aussie picks up with such a delightfully bright greeting and instantly sweeps me into a natural and easy conversation, that it is quite a while before I realise that I am supposed to be asking him some questions.

Granger reveals that the family escaped Notting Hill and the Carnival this year, travelling instead to Cornwall with the kids and friends. A holiday of fun, fresh

air and good food was in store for the chef who readily admits that his ideal dining experience is not in one of London’s finest haute cuisine restaurants, but rather at a friends house, with a homemade curry.

This turns out, in fact, to be Bill Granger’s point of difference, his USP, if you will. Where some chefs and foodie fanatics will waffle on about exotic ingredients, expensive restaurants and Michelin ambitions, Granger has his feet planted fi rmly on the ground and is completely devoid of the pretension that can too easily be found in the world of gastronomy. ‘I love more domestic food, food for the home.’ He says, ‘I am a great admirer of anyone in food, but I particularly like Nigel Slater, Yotam Ottolenghi, Jamie Oliver, Tom Pemberton (Hereford Road) and Nigella

Lawson. These people open up food to the public. The great thing about working in food, after all, is sharing happiness.’ The chef reflects honestly that, ‘fi ne dining is not my natural love, I like food for the home that you can enjoy and build up a conversation about, rather than food as theatre, which is great but it doesn’t speak to me as much.’

It is this attitude that led Granger to Notting Hill in 2011; the relaxed atmosphere coupled with serious food appreciation stirring the cook to open his fi rst restaurant in the UK. Westbourne Grove became home to Granger & Co, an eaterie described by the man himself as a ‘restaurant that becomes part of people’s lives.’ He wanted a community hub, a place to grab a coffee in the morning before work, or to enjoy a quick 63

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ABSOLUTELY | FOOD A ND TR AV EL

supper before going to see a movie.

‘I didn’t want it as a big destination, I wanted it as a local that people could use. It’s a convenient and I like to think of it as a public service’ he says.

Testament to its popularity, there were often queues out of the door when the restaurant fi rst opened – Bill promotes a strictly no-bookings policy in keeping with his other restaurants and Australian mentality – ‘It’s that hard thing of wanting to keep it reasonably priced so that customers can use the place regularly – you know its not the River Café where you go for a special meal – it’s a place where you can just pop into; but if you want this casual approach then you need to keep the turnover a little bit higher and bookings make the restaurant just a whole lot more formal I fi nd.’ He says, adding with a chuckle, ‘I’m an Australian, casual is my natural fallback option.’

Granger was born in Melbourne and then he moved to Sydney at the age of 19. This upbringing has coloured his outlook on food as well as his restaurant policies.

He explains, ‘Coming from a warm climate you fall back into fresh food a bit more.

It becomes your comfort food and I think what I try and do is bring a bit of sunshine to the food that I cook.’

Salads tend to be a favourite in the Granger household, ‘I have a salad in every meal – I need a salad.’ The chef enthuses, ‘it is so satisfying and a salad is so good for you.’

In his cooking, the chef aims to lighten heavy meals, bringing a dose of sunshine to our wet and

windy shores. He says: ‘that’s what I enjoy, that sunshine. I let it creep into the food. If it’s a curry, I’ll do a really lovely onion, mint and cucumber salad on the side just to lighten it up.’

I am, by now beginning to build up a picture in my mind of what

feed [his children] and it’s easy to fall back on things that aren’t so healthy.’ We both agree that the busier you are in your quotidian life, the more you need a tasty, fi lling and nutritious meal on your return home.

Easy was the product of this period’s hectic schedule, and took the chef almost a year to complete – he already has plenty of writing experience from his other books and his columns for The Independent. Excitingly, Granger wants to transfer those great fl avours you get in restaurants to your dinner plates at home so that you can enjoy delicious meals without breaking the bank. ‘I know how frustrating it is when you can’t make or mimic the great food at home that you have out and about’ he says.

Granger has lived in Notting Hill for three years now, and travelled the world prior to this, citing Asia and the Mediterranean for their inspiring cuisines.

I ask about the weirdest local delicacy he has ever been offered.

‘I haven’t tried it but I was offered dolphin.

I couldn’t do that though, it didn’t look very appealing. It looked like blubber.’

He adds, ‘Perhaps I could test it out on the people of Notting Hill.’ He instantly retracts. I heartily agree, the people of Notting Hill probably won’t ever be ready for a serving of an endangered species but they defi nitely enjoy a delicious slice of sunshine courtesy of this friendly, upbeat chef.

“I’m an Australian,

casual is my natural fallback option” his latest cookery book will teach; Easy is jam-packed with recipes for simple, laid-back food that doesn’t scrimp on fl avour. Nobody does easy like Bill. ‘It was a crazy year last year, opening Granger & Co but I still had to go home and cook for the family’ he says, ‘I’ve got three hungry mouths to

Easy is published by Collins, £20

64

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LAST CHANCE TO SEE

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16:45 27/09/2012 16:25

ABSOLUTELY | FOOD & TR AV EL

RECIPE

STUFFED AUBERGINE WITH LAMB AND PINE NUTS (SERVES 4 GENEROUSLY)

HOLY LAMB

Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s new cookbook Jerusalem is full of beautiful food, gorgeous photography and a sprinkle of history and politics. In this extract, they trace the origins of their recipe for stuffed aubergines

E

lran Shrefler is the youngest of Ezra and Rachela Shrefler’s nine children, who run Azura, a restaurant in the heart of Machne Yehuda market that serves Jerusalemites traditional Kurdish recipes with a Turkish influence, the area from which Ezra hails. A member of the Slow Food movement, Elran starts work at four every morning and cooks all his food in massive pots on small oil-burning stove, just as his family has done for generations.

His food, long-cooked stews and hearty soups, is ready for the first customers who arrive at around 8 am(!). It is essentially real fast food — after the long hours of slow cooking, it takes seconds to plate and serve. Elran showed us how to make his stuffed

aubergine, Turkish-style, which is our favourite dish at Azura. This is our interpretation.

In their book, The Flavor of Jerusalem, Joan Nathan and Judy Stacey Goldman give a slightly unorthodox recipe for stuffed aubergine with calves’ liver and apples. This is the creation of Deacon William GardinerScott who, in the 1970s, was head of St Andrew’s, the only Presbyterian church in Jerusalem. The church was erected in 1927 to commemorate the capture of Jerusalem by the British during the First World War. This is one of only a few culinary marks the Brits have left behind.

These are deliciously hearty and best served with some bread or simple rice and some pickles on the side.

JERUSALEM, £27, EBURY PRESS

4 MEDIUM AUBERGINES (ABOUT 1.2KG), HALVED LENGTHWAYS 6 TBSP OLIVE OIL 1 TSP GROUND CUMIN 1 ½ TBSP SWEET PAPRIKA 1 ½ TBSP GROUND CINNAMON 2 MEDIUM ONIONS (340G IN TOTAL), FINELY CHOPPED 500G MINCED LAMB 50G PINE NUTS 20G FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, CHOPPED 2 TSP TOMATO PURÉE 3 TSP CASTER SUGAR 150ML WATER 1½ TBSP LEMON JUICE 1 TSP TAMARIND PASTE 4 CINNAMON STICKS SALT AND BLACK PEPPER Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/ Gas Mark 7. Place the aubergine halves, skin-side down, in a roasting tin large enough to accommodate them snugly.

Brush the flesh with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

While the aubergines are cooking, you can start making the stuffing by heating up the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan. Mix together the cumin, paprika and ground cinnamon and add half of this spice mix to the pan, along with the onion. Cook on a medium– high heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often, before adding the lamb, pine nuts, parsley, tomato purée, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Continue to cook and stir for another 8 minutes, until the meat is cooked. Place the remaining spice mix in a bowl and add the water, lemon juice, tamarind, remaining sugar, cinnamon sticks and ½ teaspoon of salt; mix well. Reduce the oven temperature to 195°C/175°C Fan/ Gas Mark 5½. Pour the spice mix into the bottom of the aubergine roasting tin. Spoon the lamb mixture on top of each aubergine.

Cover the tin tightly with foil, return to the oven and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes, by which point the aubergines should be completely soft and the sauce thick; twice through the cooking, remove the foil and baste the aubergines with the sauce, adding some water if the sauce dries out. Serve warm, not hot, or at room temperature.

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26/06/2012 16:41

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

Goode & Wright 271 Portobello Road W11 020 7727 5552 goodeandwright.co.uk

B

efore I set foot inside, I had already received three phone calls about Goode & Wright. ‘Have you been to that new place?’ they all said. ‘The food is amazing and that French guy is so good looking,’ they gushed. Three separate people, all of them saying the same thing, all of them going into great detail about a brioche and a duck egg, and rhapsodising about salad dressing, and the amazing French waiter. All over the opening of a new restaurant.

That’s really not something that happens all the time, especially not around here when restaurants open more often than most people have haircuts.

Of course, the three of them were right. This place doesn’t shout loud, but it doesn’t need to, not when it’s generating that

kind of punter PR. First, there’s the look, which is French bistro pure: black/white chequerboard tiled floor, wood panelling on the walls, round hanging lamps and simple wooden furniture. Stylish, unpretentious and cosy, and not in a twee way. It’s small, and run

by Finlay and Jimmie, Finlay the Scottish chef running the kitchen single-handedly, and Jimmie (‘that French guy’) front of house, who is right out of those romantic, slightly surreal French films (he really is – he worked at Paris’s Café des Deux Moulins, of Amelié fame). They are a winning duo, Finlay with his properly tasty and clever food, Jimmie selling it in a way it deserves.

The menu covers ‘brunch’ – which lasts all day – and ‘evening’.

For brunch, we had the famed duck egg in a basket, which is a

poached egg in a toasted brioche with chorizo, in the cleverest and most delicious way, with salad and a twist of truffle. It is both comforting and elegant, an unusual combination – simple enough for a midweek lunch and special enough to feel like a treat. A side salad came with unplaceably flavourful dressing, while a separate spicy prawn salad with peach was stylish and carefully composed. Jimmy poured tumblers of wine with casual, breezy aplomb and brought espressos with a slight shaving of lemon peel, a French thing, apparently, whereby you dunk the peel briefly in the coffee to take the bitter edge off. It works, and Jimmy pulls it off convincingly.

That’s Goode & Wright all round – have you been yet? It’s not even that new any more.

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E l v i r a Vi n t a g e P o p - u p s h o p www.elviravintage.com

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FOODIE NOTES WIN! COOK IN A LIFETIME OF LUXURY W ITH LE CREUSET

BIR THDAY C A K E

Maison Blanc has just celebrated 30 years in the business of cakes, biscuits, bread and treats, and now they have 14 sites in London and beyond, including Holland Park Avenue.

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PANTRY SUPPERS

Need a caterer? Try Social Pantry, an exciting new catering company that’s rapidly establishing a glowing reputation among a dazzling clientele. With their eye for detail, no other catering service offers such inspiring, sophisticated or feel-good food.

Ensuring every need is catered for, from the sourcing of quality seasonal produce to a carefully selected wine list, every morsel is designed with individual style and delivered with impeccable service. socialpantry.co.uk

Le Creuset, renowned the world over for its premium quality cookware that consistently delivers great cooking performance and delicious results, has teamed up with to offer one lucky reader over £300 worth of Le Creuset cookware including a 26cm enamelled Cast Iron Shallow Casserole, a 24cm Toughened NonStick Shallow Frying Pan and a 35cm 3-ply Stainless Steel Roaster. Furthermore, the coveted cookware brand is also offering a fantastic 25 per cent discount on all products to Absolutely Notting Hill readers, as available at its popular Notting Hill store, throughout the month of October. Please bring your copy of the magazine into the store to receive the discount.

Le Creuset offers an extensive collection of cookware for all occasions and has just introduced a new, unrivalled non-stick coating, which is guaranteed for life. It is now tougher, more durable and even more resistant to abrasion and wear and is made without the use of PFOA. All three Le Creuset cookware ranges are now covered by a reassuring Lifetime Guarantee.

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GOOD PUBS

Just published, the Good Pub Guide’s 2013 issue’s section on West London sees the Churchill Arms heading up a select edit of just four hostelries. The guide praises its ‘cheery Irish landlord… well-kept beers and excellent Thai food’. We knew all that already. 119 Kensington Church Street, W8

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oor ahan

Finest

Indian Cusine

The last 49 years Noor Jahan are serving traditional style north Indian food prepared using only fresh ingredients and ground spices, no artifical colourings or preservatives are added to the original Indian flavours.

Mr and Mrs Skött’s W11 diaries

Set on two floors with a terrace, also with a private party room. It is the perfect location for business lunches or romantic dinners.

26 Sussex Place, Hyde Park Estate, Paddington, London W2 2TH www.noorjahan2.com  020 7402 2332 / 020 7402 5885

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In which they enjoy champagne, hotdogs and stylish Littlehampton

T

here are a host of restaurants springing up specialising in serving just a few dishes. Our friends at Pizza East Portobello now have a sister restaurant serving just chicken, there’s the much 14:14 acclaimed Burger and Lobster; and now Bubbledogs.

Not sure about the name, but it serves bubbles in the form of ‘grower’ champagnes and dogs in the form of simply amazing hotdogs. We think it really is a great combination made in heaven.

From heaven to Paradise (by Way of Kensal Green) where we celebrated their fifth birthday – the absolutely stunning Amber Le Bon and the super-inspiring Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh hosted a fantastic evening, with many turning out to celebrate our favourite gastropub’s anniversary. Then, as a treat for Mr Skott’s birthday, we headed down to Littlehampton. If you think that’s not much of a treat, then you obviously don’t know modern day Littlehampton. We went for lunch at the East Beach Cafe, designed by Heatherwick Studios, now famous worldwide for having designed the Olympic 2012 cauldron; it is a beautiful piece of design on the south coast. And it’s not just beautiful to look at – delicious food and laid-back yet professional service certainly make it worth the trip.

Inspired by this visit, we went to the V&A to see the Heatherwick show. We also visited the British Ballgown exhibit, featuring stunning dresses from the 50s to the current day. It made us think how much London has to offer and despite Mrs Skött having lived here all her life, that there is so much more about it we don’t know. We recently got completely lost in the London Through Time app for the iPad, an amazing portrait of London’s history. We have been feeling so very proud to be living be in this great city. mrandmrsskott@zest-media.com 73

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30/05/2012 12:55 28/05/2012 04:18 pm 27/09/2012 18:19

The

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THE LOCATION: The Forest of Dean is one of the UK’s few surviving ancient woodlands and it’s a vast area of dense forest, littered with trails for walking and cycling as well as impressive viewpoints.

UK GETAWAY

THE CABIN: Think Sweden. Or California. These stylish, modernist wood cabins are nestled discreetly in the ridiculously lush Forest of Dean. One entire wall is made of glass, giving a view of infinite greenery – and brilliantly, you are far enough away from neighbouring cabins to delude yourself that you’re alone in the woods. But then, if you need someone to explain the how the door works (there’s a knack) or you need to buy wine, or (God forbid) your hot tub has a problem, the Forest Retreat is nearby, with its handy shop and helpful staff. So you have the sense of seclusion – in a good way – without any of the potential hazards of real isolation.

Forest Cabins, Forest of Dean

FACILITES: The fi rst thing you’ll want to do is get in the hot tub, which is permanently hot and ready to go (we didn’t look into the eco credentials of this). Then, crank up the underfloor heating for a properly luxurious retreat – unless it’s summer, in which case stay on the terrace and spark up the barbecue. Inside the cabin, the kitchen is pretty well equipped, the sofa is large and comfortable, there are lots of board games and a large TV. It’s designed to be snug in winter and airy in summer.

WHEN TO GO: Weather isn’t really a problem here.

The hot tub’s perfect for cold days and a snowy Christmas holed up in the forest would be magical (think Narnia).

Even in warmer months, you’d bring waterproofs for walking and cycling.

EXTRAS: For a little extra luxury, you can book a private chef to cook for you in your cabin while you lounge in the hot tub. You can also have the house filled with flowers, arrange a delivery of champagne and chocolates or have an in-cabin spa treatment.

Forest of Dean Cabins, Christchurch Camp and Caravan Site, Bracelands Drive, Christchurch, Coleford, Gloucester, GL16 7NN forestholidays.co.uk

WHAT TO DO: It’s mostly about walking and cycling, and there are signposted trails of varying levels of difficulty. The Forest Retreat will provide maps of the forest – and you can rent bikes if you haven’t brought your own. Our yellow trail took us to famous viewpoint Symonds Yat Rock, where the RSPB has a bird viewing point, from where we could see impressively speedy pregrine falcons nesting. The forest itself is the main attraction – dense, lush and fresh-smelling.

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he iconic Beach Blanket Babylon, BBB as it is affectionately known locally, has been an institution since its inception in 1990. Famous for its delicious cocktails, al fresco dining and opulent parties, BBB epitomises the very best of cool Britannia in an environment of unadulterated decadence.

The magnificent Ballroom, Notting Hill’s best kept secret, is the ideal space for exclusive parties and private dining.

Glamourously opulent and decorated in

bookings@beachblanket.co.uk

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

French Baroque style, the Ballroom can host seated dinner parties for up to 70 guests and champagne and cocktail canapé receptions for up to 150 people.

Christmas at BBB is a magical time and will be open throughout December for lunch and dinner, featuring a delicious festive-inspired menu.

With special menus and the newlycreated Ballroom Banqueting menu now available be sure to book your party for Christmas well in advance.

020 7229 2907



www.beachblanket.co.uk



On November 22nd, BBB will be hosting a neighbourhood Christmas party with mulled wine, cocktails and canapés to start the festive season to RSVP to this please email kim@beachblanket.co.uk

45 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, W11 2AA

26/09/2012 12:47

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Captivating Como Casta Diva is the first five star hotel to open on Lake Como in over 100 years.

Nancy Alsop is utterly seduced

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tanding on the steps of Casta Diva and gazing upon the resplendent Lake Como lapping languorously at its lovely shores, it hardly takes a Byronic imagination to conjure images of the palazzo’s first resident casting her glance at upon the same scene, some two hundred years previously. Then known as the Villa Roccabruna, its operatic soprano owner Giuditta Pasta, would have graced the same sweeping staircase and, squinting into the distance, she may just have caught a glimpse of her opposite neighbour, Vincenzo Bellini, as his rowing boat bobbed into moonlit view en route to enjoy an evening of her hospitality.

The sole difference between Pasta’s experience and mine? That nobody will be rowing their way back home at the end of the night, inspired by my muse-like presence, to pen Opera Norma (unless, of course, those local charmers’ flirtations are to be believed); after all, the soprano was the inspiration for the opera in which she would later sing first soprano at La Scala in Milan. I, meanwhile, have trouble crooning along in tune to songs of infinite repetition on the radio. But only there are we at variance.

Should La Pasta drop in on her former abode these days, she would find the awe-inspiring view little changed. As for the luxurious modifications? I can little imagine that she would find them disagreeable. The spectacular position constitutes, of course, the immediate draw of Catsa Diva, which is just a ten-minute drive from the pretty town of Como. But the 13,000sq/m ‘resort’ (do not be put off by the word; this is about as far from the traditional, allinclusive affair as you can get)

rooms designed to be shared and dedicated to one of the four elements.

Neither would our soprano, I conjecture, turn her nose up at the Bellini terrace, nor the L’Orangerie restaurant which serves up the very finest examples of traditional local food and overlooks the water, spilling out onto a lake-teetering terrace in the warmer months.

Casta Diva is a place of infinite romance – as Bellini himself would have no doubt attested – and for those so inclined, little is dreamier than settling in for a late night prosecco on the lake-facing balcony that almost every room is in possession of.

Traditionalists may prefer the elegance of the rooms in the old palazzo, but the resort’s architects have been prudent enough to keep the new additions – large, contemporary rooms set into the rocks on the vertiginous incline from the road down to the lake – entirely in sympathy with the landscape.

Meanwhile for those coming with a brood in tow, there is the option to rent your own self-contained house, but with all the joys of room service at your disposal.

All of which myriad options explains just why Casta Diva, the first major five star hotel to

As evidenced by the glut of dark shades and glamorous bodies on display on our visit, the elegant international set now has an option other than La Villa D’Este has much to offer the design – and the relaxation - conscious.

First there’s the floating swimming pool, which no doubt during the summer months wo uld have been a most welcome addition to the singer’s world, this portion of the lake being offlimits to swimmers. But when the weather is less conducive to sun lounging (Como is no stranger to rain), the route back to the hotel takes you – via the 19th-century boat dock – past the spa, which has four treatment

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The most exciting new equestrian show this year! open on Lake Como for a century, is keeping the old grand dames on their toes; as evidenced by the glut of dark shades and glamorous bodies on display on our visit, the elegant international set now has an option other than La Villa D’Este.

If you are moved to set foot outside the soporific surrounds of the hotel have a wander round the pretty streets of Como, which abounds with charming wine bars and informal pizzerias, while those with a head for heights should bag a place on the funicular railway, the views from the top of which are unparalleled. But a trip to Lake Como would not be complete without an exploratory boat ride, which can take the form of a private yacht hire, or simply catching the local transport.

We settle on Bellagio, as lauded by every guidebook as the jewel in lake’s crown. Sure enough, we are met by scenes of almost absurd beauty; pretty higgledy piggledy steps wind their way up to only very slightly wider thoroughfares thronged with tourists during the summer, though it’s worth noting that as a village it is, to a certain extent, a victim of its own pulchritude; the chocolate box perfection has ensured its popularity with the fanny-packed brigade who coo over the tourist memorabilia that stares from almost every shop window. If you do decide to stay, the Villa Serbelloni is the grand hotel, its neo-classical yellow façade greeting visitors immediately as they step off the boat (previous guests have included Churchill, JFK and Clark Gable).

A more impressive and ornate breakfast room you will not see, plus there’s the Michelin-starred Mistral restaurant to sample, with its experimental cooking which features the likes of peacock on the menu, no less. It is, perhaps, one for those who favour the old-fashioned, its interior being a paean to the 1970s. The views, meanwhile, are achingly beautiful, whatever your preferred aesthetic. Perhaps, after all, one’s beloved may yet be inspired to write that aria... castadivaresort.com; +39 031 3251; villaserbelloni.com; +39 031 950216

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ABSOLUTELY PROMOTION

SUMMERILL & BISHOP Let spring into your home with Summerill & Bishop’s beautiful collection of tableware and decorative accessories. Established in 1994, Summerill & Bishop is a kitchen shop that reflects the allure of a Provencal home filled with hand-crafted earthenware, glassware and natural home products. The shop is loved by many including Bruce Oldfield, Tricia Guild and Ruth Rogers. Brands include Astier de Villatte, Cote Bastide, Laguiole, Staub and Fog Linen Work. A wedding gift list service is available both online and at the shop.

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They fulfil the design and decoration needs of residential, corporate, hotel and developer clients, catering to all briefs and offering striking and practical solutions for both traditional and contemporary interiors. The studio and retail showroom is based in Clarendon Cross where you will receive a warm welcome.

7 Clarendon Cross W11 4AP; 020 7243 0864 stephenryandesign.com

HALCYON INTERIORS Every surface of our new Alno Cera range is made from ceramic, giving it a completely seamless look. Ceramic is extremely hard wearing and impossible to stain and hot pots can be put directly on it.

Halcyon Interiors, The Alno Store, 120 Wigmore street, W1U 3LS, 0207 486 3080

TREEHOUSE HARDWOOD FLOORING Treehouse offers a range of flooring options for interior developments including structural engineered wide and strip boards, overlay and engineered parquet wood block. There is also a machine-to-order service, worktop service, bespoke stair casing plus doors and panelling.

Treehouse also stocks a range of related products in its Notting Hill showroom, such as finishes, sound proofing, fixings and trim plus a range of interior-related products.

116 Talbot Road, W11 1JR, 020 7460 0376 82

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The Daily Telegraph

“

“

A legal force of nature

Marilyn Stowe is the senior partner at Stowe Family Law and one of the first solicitors to qualify as a family law arbitrator in England and Wales.

Leading the UK’s largest dedicated family law firm, she has more than 25 years’ experience handling divorce cases and family law proceedings. of the first solicitors to qualify as a family law arbitrator through · One the newly-formed Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (IFLA). first Chief Assessor and Chief Examiner of the Law Society’s · The Family Law Panel.

Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers: · Aa global association of lawyers recognised for expertise in their

Located in WC1, Stowe Family Law specialises in family law issues; from divorce to cohabitees’ rights, with dedicated international and children’s teams.

The firm’s specialist in-house forensic accountancy department tracks down hidden assets and can provide immediate financial advice.

respective countries.

If you need family law advice, early support can be essential.

Stowe Family Law can help.

Contact 020 7421 3300 8 Fulwood Place, Gray’s Inn, London WC1V 6HG

Contact 01423 532 600 The Old Court House, Raglan Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 1LT

chiefexecutive@stowefamilylaw.co.uk

stowe family law may 12.indd 1

www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk

Contact 0161 926 1410 The Camellia Building, 38 Oxford Road, Hale, Altrincham WA14 2EB

www.marilynstowe.co.uk

29/04/2012 20:54

ABSOLUTELY | I NTER IORS

INTERIOR LOOKS

KATEFORMAN.CO.UK

PITCHER PERFECT Eight of the best jugs

BLACK TOAST JUG, £49.95, EMMABRIDGWATER.CO.UK; BAKING DAYS RED MEASURING JUG, £10.50, SPODE.CO.UK; PANTONE UNIVERSE MILK JUG, £14.99, GIFTEDPENGUIN.CO.UK; CORNISH BLUE DREADNOUGHT JUG (30OZ), £24.46, DIVERTIMENTI.CO.UK

SPRGI JUGS BY DONNA WILSON, £55, SCP.CO.UK

SOPHIE CONRAN FOR PORTMEIRION LARGE GLASS JUG, £31, PORTMEIRION.CO.UK; ORLA KIELY ABACUS MILK JUG, £16.50, ORLAKIELY.COM; BLUE NORMANDY ENAMEL STYLE CERAMIC PITCHER, £18.95, DOTCOMGIFTSHOP.COM

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OUR ANNIVERSARY GIFT TO YOU

NEW COLLECTION OUT NOW

To celebrate our 60th Anniversary, we are giving all our customers a voucher worth 10% of your purchase.

See the New 2013 collection of Urban Danish Design in store or visit www.boconcept.co.uk.

Book your Free Design service now.

BoConcept Notting Hill · 18-24 Westbourne Grove · London · W2 5RH · 020 7792 4111 · notting-hill@boconcept.co.uk (5 min walk from Paddington Station) *See in store or online for details of our anniversary gift to you. Limited period.

BO CONCEPT_SEPT.indd 1 484_UK_1-1Fargo_Ogi_Launch_12_Absolutely.indd 1

14/08/2012 11:27 8/8/12 19:13:25

RAG & BONES

RUBBISH CLEARANCE ALL SCRAP CLEARED HOUSE OFFICE SHOP GARDEN GARAGE 



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FULLY LICENSED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY

07824700627 SCRAP VEHICLE DISPOSAL - FLY TIPPING CLEARANCE - WASTE MANAGEMENT GARAGE & SHED CLEARANCE - BUILDING MATERIAL DELIVERYS

PAINTING & DECORATING TAKEN ON 07824700627 RAG & BONES.indd 1

26/09/2012 15:40

ABSOLUTELY | ST Y LE

NORTHERN LIGHTS

By Nord’s incredible design products and bed linen are inspired by the diversity of the raw yet beautiful Nordic nature, where the rough and gentle meet. By Nord believe in sustainable design, where beauty and functionality are supported by extended use of organic materials and accountability in production. bynord.com

INTERIOR INSPIRATIONS BUILDING CASTLES IN THE SKY CHISEL & MOUSE

Show some architectural appreciation with the miniature works of genius by Chisel & Mouse. Each plaster model is handmade and depicts an unsung hero of British and international architecture.

Our pick is the ever-lovely west London landmark the Hoover Factory. £99, chiselandmouse.com

KATIE WALKER FURNITURE

We can’t help but fall for the fantastical curves of Katie Walker’s stunning chairs. katiewalkerfurniture.com

The whimsical charm of the simple tree houses has been turned on its head by architects, designers and craftsmen who have let their imagination run riot, as illustrated in popular architecture writer Philip Jodidio’s new book Tree Houses: Fairy Tale Castles in the Sky. Sky Taschen’s beautiful book reveals the world’s most spectacular and innovative tree houses – from rustic to ultra contemporary. A boundless source of inspiration (though perhaps a little out of budget and practicality) if you’re planning on having one in your back garden. £44.99, taschen.com

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH FAO is a brand new online boutique, showcasing beautiful, unique and cutting-edge pieces from the world of fashion, art and homewares. It’s a real source of inspiration for spotting the best in up-and-coming designer talent. fao-shop.com

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ABSOLUTELY | INTERIORS

A DESIGNER’S LIFE

A brief encounter with... Kate Forman

My idea of heaven is…

Trawling antique markets in France.

The thing I’m proudest of is…

First and foremost, my three children.

Then creating a business from the thing I’m most passionate about.

Something I wish I were better at is…

Delegating!

I would describe my style as…

Shabby chic mixed with eclectic boho.

The best advice I ever got was…

Never run before you can walk.

My lucky break was…

An old friend seeing my vision and backing my company.

The person who would play me in a film would be… My favourite actress is Marion Cotillard because she so reminds me of my eldest daughter.

If I could choose someone to write the soundtrack to my life it would be...

Amy Winehouse. I love her voice, her lyrics and her whole musical style.

The book that changed my life was...

I cannot think of a life-changing book but one of my all-time favourites is Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love.

My best buy ever was... An Etienne Dorian print bought from a restaurant in Perigeaux after a very merry dinner.

The best present I ever received was...

Earrings from Bloomingdales from my husband when we were engaged.

My favourite saying is...

‘Less is more.’ It’s so true!

The best hour of the day is...

I’m an early bird; 6.30am is my time for peaceful reflection… which usually results in writing a list for the day.

My idea of a good night out is....

A good dinner with plenty of music, laughter and, best of all, dancing.

At weekends I most enjoy...

A noisy Sunday lunch surrounded by friends and children, young and old.

Someone whose style I admire is...

Barbara Hulanicki. The whole BIBA concept as a shopping experience and as a label was truly brilliant.

The thing that gets me down is...

Grey skies and negativity.

My favourite holiday is...

Provence fulfils all my holiday desires.

My earliest London memory is...

Fond memories of shopping with my mother at Ossie Clarke and Granny Takes a Trip, back in its heyday!

If I could change one thing about Notting Hill, it would be...

Bring back more original boutiques.

What people might not know about me is... I have a disabled daughter who suffers from Retts Syndrome.

Kate Forman, 8 Clarendon Cross, W11; kateforman.co.uk

Top 3

Style Tips

1. Keep bedrooms pale and romantic because they are, after all, a sanctuary after a busy day.

2. Mix styles to avoid an ‘overly designed’ look – layer textures, colours and be brave.

3. Use plenty of table lamps and fewer overhead lighting solutions to create mood – it will totally change the atmosphere.

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eggersman A4 may 2012_Layout 1 23/05/2012 13:05 Page 1

eggersmann new London flagship showroom

Exclusive appliance partners

redefining kitchens since 1908

eggersmann london, 555 kings road, london sw6 2eb 0207 371 8800 sales@eggersmannlondon.com

Untitled-11 1

23/05/2012 13:16

WHITE LIGHT

Photographer Simon Upton’s Notting Hill warehouse apartment is the only London property to feature in Taschen’s new homage to global interiors.

Absolutely pays tribute

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MAIN IMAGE: ABOVE THE LIVING AREA IS A GALLERY BEDROOM. THE FURNITURE CONSISTS OF HEIRLOOM PIECES AND FINDS FROM SIMON UPTON’S TRAVELS.

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LEFT: THE CANOPIED FOUR-POSTED BED HAS CARVED POTS FROM COLONIAL INDIA THAT WERE DISCOVERED AT A LONDON ANTIQUES SHOP; MADE FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF HARDWOOD, THE COFFEE TABLE WAS ONCE A CEREMONIAL BED FOR AN IVORIAN TRIBAL CHIEF

W

hen Simon Upton began looking for an industrial loft in west London in the mid-1990s, he soon discovered that the market for such places was non-existent.

But then his real-estate agent, rummaging around in his bottom drawer, found the details of an old warehouse. The photographer, who has lived there ever since, had

‘I wanted a bright, white canvas. And I didn’t want to follow a certain style, or have anything jarring or offensive’

everything painted white – after shooting so many great interiors around the world, he decided his own home should, first and foremost, be simple.

‘I didn’t want it to be completely Mid-century or all Georgian – although I love both styles,” he explains. He has built up the furnishings gradually over the years, picking up the old antlers and > 93

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< animal skins, for instance, on his travels: “They have an intrinsic beauty which we often miss, due to our collective abhorrence of death.”

This property is currently on the market; interested parties should contact simon@simonupton.com This extract comes from the recent TASCHEN publication 100 Interiors Around The World, £34.99

FIRST PAGE: IN FRONT OF THE CUSTOMMADE CABINETS ARE OBJECTS UPTON HAS COLLECTED OVER THE YEARS. THE TWO CHAIRS FEATURING CHROMED STEEL ARMS DATE FROM THE 1970S. ‘SYMMETRY WAS AN IMPORTANT DESIGN PRINCIPLE,’ THE PHOTOGRAPHER SAYS. THE OBJECTS ON AND NEXT TO THE OLD FABRIC-CUTTING TABLE WERE ARRANGED ACCORDINGLY. ABOVE: DISCOVERED AT SPITALFIELDS MARKET, THE FACE ON THE STAIRCASE WALL IS MADE OF RESIN. THE WINDOWS DATE BACK TO WHEN THE FORMER WAREHOUSE WAS BUILT.

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It can take house buyers and tenants just seconds to decide whether to buy or let a property.

So make sure your home creates the right impression.

Our homestaging service will transform your property into a stunning living space - a showroom look that will help sell or let your property quickly - and for the best price.

Dress to sell, to let, to live

Our design team can: ●

Create a luxurious, contemporary interior;

●

Highlight your property’s best features;

●

Dress rooms to optimise space and light;

●

Provide exclusive or budget furnishing packages;

●

Carry out full design & refurbishment.

Find out more at www.instyledirect.co.uk, call us on 020 7348 7625 or visit our showroom at 15 The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf SW6 just next to Chelsea Harbour

FULL PAGE.indd 1

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ABSOLUTELY | PROMOTION

The Art of Investing Dr Geza Toth-Feher, owner of GGGallery, shares five things everyone should know for a sound art investment

Investing a stake in the 46 billion Euro art business can be highly profitable. Not everyone can get it right, though. When the Arts Council politely declined Charles Saatchi’s gift of Tracey Emin’s Unmade Bed in August, Saatchi may have learnt that some £150,000 investments can’t even be given away.

1. Nurture a passion and intuition for your favourite genre of art.

Get to know the art scene; visit galleries, research online (artnet.com is very useful) and meet like-minded artists, aesthetes and investors.

3. Looking for a safe bet? £1m+ acquisitions rarely lose value.

As The Fine Art Fund’s Philip Hoffman put it: a Canaletto never does an Enron.

4. Purchase pieces that you can afford to keep for a long time.

5. Research. Investing in unknown or up-and-coming artists is like private equity; you need to

other artists and investors, intuition will follow over time.

2. Look in the right places. Find galleries with a proven record of recognising commercial talent.

Attend their exhibitions, network and learn.

3. Look for the signifiers. Have they been nominated for, or won prizes? Has their work been exhibited anywhere with prominence?

Have they been written about?

As The Fine Art Fund’s Philip Hoffman put it: a Canaletto never does an Enron

2. Buy art that talks to you.

Some pieces can take years to significantly appreciate in value. If you can’t enjoy the aesthetics of the work during this time, don’t bother.

understand what you are doing. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Four ways to recognise an upand-coming artist 1. Intuition – the hardest part. Don’t worry though – as you develop your passion and learn from examples of

4. They of course could be a fervent selfpromoter. If they have the talent to match their promotional zeal, you could be on to a winner. If not, check with an impartial source before buying.

GGGallery, 15 Blenheim Crescent, W11 2EE GGGallery.co.uk 020 7792 2332

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120 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 3LS 509 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Pinner, Middlesex HA5 4JS 120 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 3LS soon Beaconsfield Showroom coming 509 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Pinner, Middlesex HA5 4JS Telephone: 020 7486 Beaconsfield Showroom coming soon 3080 email: info@halcyon-interiors.co.uk | www.halcyon-interiors.co.uk Telephone: 020 7486 3080 email: info@halcyon-interiors.co.uk | www.halcyon-interiors.co.uk Halcyon ad_London_232x300mm.indd 1 Halcyon ad_London_232x300mm.indd 1

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Specialists in refurbishment and extension of listed buildings. We offer the complete service: Architectural Design Planning Interior Design Building Construction Telephone us for a free consultation

020 7221 5966

www.crawfordandgray.co.uk

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ABSOLUTELY | INTERIORS

Green party The benefits of green havens for a hectic urban life, as seen by Barry Burrows of Bartholomew Landscaping

G

reen space in the city is a hot commodity. As the urban dweller’s work/life balance shifts to take up more home time, and the need for more homes takes up our open spaces, outside space becomes a precious resource. So, as with any decreasing commodity, we have to become more adept at utilising it to the full. Gardens are brilliant for relaxation, family time and contact with the wider community – not to mention the simple joy of sitting amongst plants.

In London, most of our access to greenery comes in parks, communal gardens, courtyards, roof gardens or terraces. The key to getting the most out of these valuable places, whether a communal garden square with 100 years of history, or a new development with contemporary planting space, is sensitive management. The day-

to-day running of these spaces can be shared between two households or several hundred, and a garden that is badly managed will end up underused. We often find that garden squares suffer from a paucity of use due to a lack of interesting spaces, and that when engaging changes are made – such as fresh planting, thoughtfully placed seating and strictly timetabled maintenance visits, – residents start to use them regularly.

This, in turn, allows a community sense of ownership to develop. One garden committee chairman that we have helped told us, ‘that the square had never looked better, was always in use and had been used to celebrate weddings, birthdays and christenings, which had never happened before the few significant improvements had been made.’

Many townhouses only have a small area of garden, which is often overlooked. Courtyards can provide a huge increase in living space,

especially in garden flats. Since space for living is usually prioritised growing space, many designs minimise plants and maximise the paved areas.

When planning this type of garden, consider the walls. Plants can be used to soften surfaces and to ‘lose’ walls creating a feeling of a leafy glade in the centre of town.

Using vertical ‘green’ walls in these gardens allows a greater variety of plants to be introduced and also creates the opportunity to grow your own food within feet of your door.

We hear so much about food miles, and the distance between us and the supply of our food, that it must be good for us to be talking about food ‘inches’ rather than miles.

Building a roof terrace makes a striking difference to lifestyle as roofs are nearly always unused prior to conversion. The space opens up a huge number of possibilities, providing space, light, privacy

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and mental wellbeing. Among the features that we have included on roof terraces are canopies, kitchens, fires, televisions, lighting, light wells and cocktail bars. You can hugely increase your living space with a roof terrace. One client was moved to say that creating her terrace was a life-changing experience, she said, ‘To be sitting under the stars in central London, with my family around me, was something I never thought possible.’

Health and wellbeing are vital to all of us, and gardens and gardening work provide so many major and minor aids to our health that it is impossible to ignore our debt to the green spaces around us. It has been said that gardeners tend not to go to the gym as they get much more pleasurable exercise tending a garden. Plants that have contributed so much to our medical research abound in our urban and suburban green spaces.

What then, is the future for gardens in the city, bearing this significant impact on our lifestyles?

Surely it is to increase their number, ensuring that any space open to the sky is productive, relaxing, stimulating and, in a way that only a garden can be, ever-changing throughout the year. Whether it’s a window box or a two hectare garden square, all garden spaces are important, but they are most important and beneficial to the user.

A fact we should all continue to bear in mind in the future. bartholomewlandscaping.com 020 7931 8685 100

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big table

Warmest congratulations

from All At Big Table to All At Absolutely Notting Hill

hand made bed frames & mattresses

T: 020 7221 5058 / 56 Great Western Road London W9 3 BT

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TREEHOUSE HARDWOOD FLOORING

QUALITY ENVIRONMENTS FOR QUALITY OF LIFE Specialists in high quality solid and sustainable hardwood flooring We carry a huge range of woods from around the world, displayed at our Notting Hill showroom in large sample boards to assist clients, designers and architects, in planning interiors.

Board and strip flooring wood block and decking, bespoke floor production.

Other services, special project installation, wall panelling, staircases, doors, worktops, cabinetry, natural stone & many other interior related products.

Exceptional value, experienced craftsmen, quality installation.

Showroom : 116 Talbot Rd, Notting Hill, London, W11 1JR E-mail info@johntate.co.uk Tel: 020 7460 0376

ADVERT PLACEMENTS.indd 4

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BRICK BY BRICK Patrick Panioty, of Notting Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s London Heritage Design and Build, reveals the tricks of his trade

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Q) Everyone knows how hard it is to find builders. Where do people go wrong?

A) It’s such a personal thing. The relationship you have with your builder is – by the end of the project – one of the closest ones you have, and you have to find someone you can trust.

People go wrong when they start employing too many professionals, or believing unrealistic promises about how quickly things can be done, and to what budget. The most important thing is mutual trust. Having people you don’t know in your house can be the worst thing imaginable, and we understand that. We are one of the only building companies actually based in Notting Hill and we know the area and its houses.

MAIN PICTURE: EXTENSIVE WORKS TO THIS KITCHEN/ DINING AND LIVING SPACE INCLUDE A BESPOKE AMERICAN MAPLE KITCHEN MADE BY LONDON HERITAGE IN THEIR WORKSHOP AND STUCCO VENEZIANA PLASTER WALL FINISHES, AS FOUND IN VENICE. THE CHANDELIER IS A 1950S MURANO FROM VINCENZO CAFFARELLA IN CHURCH STREET. THIS PAGE: EXTENSIVE WORK TO THE PROPERTY;’S LOWER BASEMENT AND UTILITY AREAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIGEL CHARMAN

Q) How are you different?

A) We fit between the architects and the builders. In fact, I really believe that everyone who does up a house needs us. People often start by going to an architect or hiring a project manager before looking for a builder, but most projects are too small to justify that kind of expertise. Plus, involving a project manager adds to the cost and as an often unnecessary extra link in the chain, can cause confusion. We have a different approach. We offer a complete turnkey service, so we are in control of everything. At London Heritage, the entire team is employed by us and every project we undertake

is finished on time and to budget, thanks to the thorough planning we put in beforehand, and to our extensive experience. For our most recent project, we had ordered the kitchen, bought the paint and chosen the flooring well in advance of the project’s start date, and from there we worked to tight schedules.

Q) What sort of projects are we talking about?

A) We do everything. We offer a complete interior design and build package, with projects ranging from basic maintenance work (we are nearby and can be with you very quickly), a new kitchen or bathroom to a complete house refurbishment.

Recently we completed a huge project in St James Gardens W11, which included structural alterations, damp-proofing, a new kitchen and bathrooms, flooring, roofing, landscaping, upgrading the plumbing and electrics. It took exactly four months from start to finish, and came in dead on budget.

The client was delighted.

Q) What skills do your team have?

A) We can do everything. Our team includes an in-house designer to help produce ideas and drawings, we have a surveyor, we have just taken on another young designer to help with more cutting edge projects and we have all the tradespeople.

We’re fully insured and never use sub-contractors, so everyone is accountable and accredited.

Q) What’s your background?

A) I started as an electrician and moved into electrical design, particularly lighting design. In the 1980s I was involved in commercial interiors when I began to realise that relying on other people slowed things down. You can design lovely lighting, but if the walls aren’t flat then the effect is ruined. Gradually, I began to work on everything and started offering a full service. And then I moved more into residential work, because it’s more permanent and personal, and we discovered that working closely with clients led to us producing our best work.

Q) What’s the most unusual request you’ve ever had?

A) I was once asked to fit a tiger flap in Mayfair. It was a North African client in Half Moon Street and he asked for a big cat flap, so I fitted a dog flap, but it was still too small. When the client slightly sheepishly showed me a picture of his pet, it was clear that it wasn’t just a cat. This was a pet tiger. It used to roam around the roof terrace.

I’ve no idea whether that’s legal.

London Heritage Design & Build 24 Notting Hill Gate W11 020 7243 4055 londonheritagedesign.co.uk 103

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ABSOLUTELY

PROPERTY OCTOBER 2012

HYDE PARK SQUARE, W2 An immaculately presented duplex apartment with enviable south facing views over Hyde Park Square situated in a grand Grade ll listed white stucco fronted building.

Reception room, Dining room, Kitchen, 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 2 Private patios, Porter, Private entrance, Access to communal gardens

ÂŁ2,800,000 Share of Freehold

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Local know-how. Better results.

Balham

Chelsea

Hammersmith

Mayfair

Barnes

Clapham

Holland Park

North Kensington

Battersea

Earls Court

Kensington

Notting Hill

Brook Green

Fulham

Little Venice

Pimlico & Westminster

Ledbury Road W11 £3,950,000 A spectacular apartment offering a beautifully designed, dynamic interior within a landmark building in the heart of Notting Hill.

The magnificent entertaining space is arranged over two floors with an open plan, galleried reception area, double height ceilings and striking architectural features. The large bedroom suites provide beautifully fitted bathrooms and extensive storage. Further benefits include secure off street parking and private roof terraces. Sole Agents.

NOTTING HILL: 020 7313 2890 sales.not@marshandparsons.co.uk

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Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/marshandparsons

Join us on Facebook: facebook.com/marshandparsons

Visit our YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/marshandparsons

SALES

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

Gordon Place W8 ÂŁ3,850,000 Guide Price This charming family house is arranged over four floors, comprising a kitchen leading through to a conservatory and out to a private west facing garden, a separate dining room, two reception rooms, a study, a master bedroom with a walk-in dressing room, balcony and en suite bathroom, three further bedrooms and a family bathroom. Located close to the excellent local amenities of Kensington High Street and Notting Hill Gate. Freehold. Sole Agents.

KENSINGTON: 020 7368 4450 sales.kns@marshandparsons.co.uk

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We are proud to have been awarded...

Overall Supreme Agency of the Year

UK’s Estate Agency of the Year 2010

Best Customer Service 2011

Marketing Team of the Year

The Negotiator Awards 2011

Estate Agency of the Year Awards - Gold

Estate Agency of the Year Awards - Silver

The Negotiator Awards 2011

Holland Villas Road W14 £2,250,000

Queens Gardens W2 £1,995,000

This magnificent property comprises an extremely large and bright, double reception room with a balcony, a separate kitchen, a master bedroom with en suite, three further double bedrooms, two bathrooms and a private garage. Share of Freehold. Sole Agents.

Overlooking a popular garden square, this apartment boasts magnificent reception space featuring high ceilings and a large triple sash window. The bedroom accommodation includes two large double bedroom suites, a third double bedroom and a shower room. Share of Freehold.

HOLLAND PARK: 020 7605 6890 sales.hol@marshandparsons.co.uk

NOTTING HILL: 020 7313 2890 sales.not@marshandparsons.co.uk

Lancaster Road W11 £1,500,000

Trafalgar Gardens W8 £1,350,000

This beautiful conversion occupies the top two floors of an imposing Victorian building, moments from Portobello Road. The property boasts an impressive dual aspect, first floor kitchen/reception room, a roof terrace, two double bedrooms, a study and a bath & shower room. Share of Freehold. Sole Agents.

Located in a quiet enclave off Kensington Square, this charming ground floor apartment boasts a reception room leading out to a patio garden, a separate kitchen, two bedrooms (one en suite), a bathroom and private parking. Share of Freehold.

NORTH KENSINGTON: 020 7313 8350 sales.nkn@marshandparsons.co.uk

LITTLE VENICE: 020 7313 2890 sales.not@marshandparsons.co.uk

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SALES

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

Tavistock Road W11 £3,600,000 This exceptional family house offers magnificent proportions and retains much of its period charm. The property boasts a beautifully designed and presented interior, with a versatile layout allowing the lower floor to be easily used as an independent flat. Highlights include two floors of impressive entertaining space, a tremendous master bedroom suite and a leafy, mature garden. Tavistock Road is superbly positioned close to a the amenities of the Notting Hill area, including Portobello Road and Westbourne Grove. Freehold. Sole Agents.

NORTH KENSINGTON: 020 7313 8350 sales.nkn@marshandparsons.co.uk

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25/09/2012 12:10

Local know-how. Better results.

Balham

Chelsea

Hammersmith

Mayfair

Barnes

Clapham

Holland Park

North Kensington

Battersea

Earls Court

Kensington

Notting Hill

Brook Green

Fulham

Little Venice

Pimlico & Westminster

Princedale Road W11 ÂŁ1,295 per week Located on one of the most desirable streets in Holland Park, this beautifully refurbished house offers extensive living space.

The property comprises a stunning eat-in kitchen and spacious reception room on the ground floor, while the upper floors boast a fabulous master bedroom suite, a further double bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. Princedale Road is superbly located for the excellent local amenities and just a short walk from the Central Line at Holland Park.

HOLLAND PARK: 020 7605 6890 lets.hol@marshandparsons.co.uk

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25/09/2012 12:11

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LETTINGS

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

Ladbroke Road W11 £1,200 per week

Lauderdale Road W9 £695 per week

This very well presented, split level apartment is located moments from the amenities of Notting Hill Gate. Arranged over two floors of a period house, the accommodation comprises a grand double reception room with wooden floors, a separate fitted kitchen, three double bedrooms and two en suite bathrooms.

Situated on the raised ground floor of an impressive period building in Maida Vale, this superb apartment comprises a large reception room with high ceilings, a separate kitchen, a master bedroom with en suite, a second large double bedroom with a mezzanine study area and a family bathroom

NOTTING HILL: 020 7313 6910 lets.not@marshandparsons.co.uk

LITTLE VENICE: 020 7313 2890 lets.not@marshandparsons.co.uk

St Mary Abbotts Court W14 £525 per week

Kensington Church Street W8 £550 per week

Situated moments from Kensington High Street, this beautiful apartment is located in a smart, well maintained building with concierge. The apartment is very spacious, offering a double reception room, a separate kitchen, a large double bedroom with ample storage, a modern bathroom and an additional WC.

Located on the first floor of a smart period conversion and set back from the road, this contemporary apartment boasts high ceilings throughout, generous open plan living space with a modern kitchen and French doors leading to a sunny balcony, a large bedroom with ample storage and a bathroom.

KENSINGTON: 020 7368 4450 lets.kns@marshandparsons.co.uk

KENSINGTON: 020 7368 4450 lets.kns@marshandparsons.co.uk

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LD

SO LD SO LD

ST STEPHENS MANSIONS W2 GUIDE PRICE £749,950

HYDE PARK GARDENS W2 GUIDE PRICE £8,000,000

LD

SO LD THE LANCASTERS W2 GUIDE PRICE £6,275,000

ABINGDON COURT W8 GUIDE PRICE £3,750,000

SO

SO

LD

QUEENS GARDENS W2 GUIDE PRICE £499,950

HOLLAND PARK AVENUE W11 GUIDE PRICE £1,575,000

SO LD

SO LD

PRINCEDALE ROAD W11 GUIDE PRICE £1,950,000

QUEENSDALE ROAD W11 GUIDE PRICE £2,950,000

SO

SO LD

UPPER ADDISON GARDENS W14 GUIDE PRICE £2,000,000

27/09/2012 17:33

CENTURIES OF EXPERIENCE We’ve been selling property for our clients for generations, and we’ve built a reputation for doing it well. Throughout the years we’ve combined traditional values of discretion and outstanding service, with exceptional market knowledge and a passion for achieving results. Time and time again, it’s the difference between ‘for sale’ and ‘sold’.

Whether you’re selling, letting or buying, we can make the difference.

Call us on 020 7371 1111 or visit us at carterjonas.co.uk

FULL PAGE.indd 1

27/09/2012 17:32

Offices throughout the UK including 5 in London

carterjonas.co.uk

NOTTING HILL

Colville Terrace W11 A wonderful first floor, one bedroom apartment with fabulous ceiling height and a south facing terrace. The apartment is in excellent condition throughout and is superbly located on Colville Terrace, in the heart of Notting Hill.

Kitchen/reception room • Bedroom • Dressing room Bathroom • Terrace

Guide price £950,000 Leasehold

Holland Park & Notting Hill 0207 371 1111 hollandpark@carterjonas.co.uk JSA Winkworth Notting Hill 020 7727 3227

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26/09/2012 19:00

KENSINGTON

Warwick Gardens W14 A wonderful, period family house with an elegant first floor drawing room and a good sized garden. The house is on the market for the first time in forty years and could now benefit from modernisation.

Reception room • Kitchen • Dining room • Study • Master bedroom, with en suite • 3 further bedrooms • Bathroom Garden • Lower ground floor flat with kitchen, reception room, bedroom, bathroom

Guide price £2,950,000 Freehold

Holland Park & Notting Hill 020 7371 1111 hollandpark@carterjonas.co.uk

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26/09/2012 19:01

Offices throughout the UK including 5 in London

carterjonas.co.uk

BAYSWATER

Monmouth Road W2 Enjoying a prime location amongst the charming pavement cafés of Westbourne Grove, this contemporary living space offers the ultimate in Notting Hill living.

Reception room • Kitchen • 2 bedrooms • 2 bathrooms Patio

Guide price £999,950 Freehold

Hyde Park & Bayswater 020 7402 1552 hydepark@carterjonas.co.uk

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26/09/2012 19:02

KENSINGTON

HOLLAND PARK

De Vere Gardens W8

Lower Addison Gardens W14

A fantastic four floor mid terrace period family home situated in this wonderful location only minutes from Kensington Gardens and within walking distance to Kensington High Street.

A light and airy furnished apartment on the second floor of this period conversion in Holland Park, benefiting from access to the well maintained communal gardens.

Reception room • Separate eat-in kitchen • 3 double bedrooms En suite bathroom • Further bathroom • Guest cloakroom

Reception room • Open-plan kitchen • Bedroom Shower room • Access to communal gardens

£1,395 per week

£325 per week

Unfurnished

Furnished

Holland Park & Notting Hill 020 7371 3377 hollandpark@carterjonas.co.uk

Holland Park & Notting Hill 020 7371 3377 hollandpark@carterjonas.co.uk

HOLLAND PARK

HOLLAND PARK

Melbury Road W14

Queensdale Place W11

A very well presented, newly redecorated apartment situated on the first floor of this well maintained, purpose built, portered block just minutes away from the open spaces of Holland Park.

A recently refurbished, contemporary house located at the end of this charming sought after mews in Holland Park.

Reception/dining room • Eat-in kitchen • 3 bedrooms Bathroom • En suite shower room • Balcony

Open plan first floor reception/kitchen/dining room • 3 double bedrooms, 2 en suite • Additional bedroom/study Shower room • Private terrace

£795 per week Furnished/unfurnished

£1,850 per week Unfurnished

Holland Park & Notting Hill 020 7371 3377 hollandpark@carterjonas.co.uk

Holland Park & Notting Hill 020 7371 3377 hollandpark@carterjonas.co.uk

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27/09/2012 16:18

ABSOLUTELY | PROPERT Y

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

‘‘

Mark Sommerville, Sales Manager, Hamptons International PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD CLARK

H

ow do you start your day? At a dinner party with some friends not so long ago this topic came up and I was quite amazed at the difference between how people get ready and prepare for the onslaught of a busy day in central London. As my friends and I creep towards our 40th year (October 16th, cards most welcome) a lot of morning rituals revolve around exercise.

A friend of mine wakes at 4.45am. Reads and watches the news so he can ‘wake up slowly’ then he is out for a five-mile run before walking to the station for a one-hour train journey to work; all this before 9am. For me, until recently I would wake up and within minutes I’d have my two spaniels, Echo and Obi close by (names courtesy of Ben 10 and Star Wars), and we’d be running through the morning mist alone on Ashdown Forest; not a soul around. Recently, however I have changed my morning ritual. Now I run in Hyde Park at 7am. Never mind the traffic on the A40, I am absolutely stunned by the number of runners.

It seems London is charged with endorphins at present, whether joggers, runners or those hardy swimmers in the Serpentine. The preparation for each person’s day is immense.

There is no doubt that if you prepare well for your day you can perform better during it.

According to Rightmove, there are 142 estate agents in the Notting Hill area. My office in Westbourne Grove is currently third in terms of available stock, which is great, but we agents like volume and always want more, which means competing against an awful lot of extremely talented, enthusiastic (some a bit too enthusiastic when it comes to pricing) and very professional outfits who are all trying their upmost to get the seller or buyer to transact business with them. So, in my view, being prepared is essential for success.

My advice to buyers and sellers is not that you need to wake up with the cockerels, run a marathon and swim the Serpentine before work in order to successfully buy or sell in central London, but for a buyer there is a huge amount of competition out there. To show you how much competition you’re facing, type ‘W11’ into Rightmove, click search, scroll to the very bottom and usually you will see a five figure number that indicates how many other people are trying to find similar properties in the area you are looking, which can be quite a scary prospect. However, if you are prepared with a good solicitor, good mortgage broker – or better still, a pile of cash – and are prepared to move like lightening when your dream home comes along, then you will be putting up a Christmas tree in that home, happy in the knowledge that you did it. If you are not prepared, someone else will be sitting in your spot. So good luck to all and here’s to a great end for what has been an incredible year for the capital.

‘‘

Notting Hill Sales, 301 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, W11 2QA 020 7034 0404, Sommervillem@hamptons-int.com

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27/09/2012 16:18

WOODSTOCK STUDIOS, W12 ÂŁ2,600,000 Leasehold

An extraordinary three bedroom penthouse in the former Shepherds Bush BBC studios.

Measuring more than 3,000 sq ft over three storeys, the lower floor contains a vast reception room with an open-plan kitchen and dining area. Also on this level is the master bedroom suite with a dressing room and a second bedroom, with a bath and cloakroom.

The middle floor contains another large reception room/studio with steps up to a sitting room. From here glass sliding doors lead to a beautiful terrace with far reaching views. The top floor houses a third bedroom and a second terrace. The property benefits from lift access and underground parking for one car.

17 Kensington Park Road, London W11 2EU

Email: info@domusnova.com Tel: 0207 727 1717 Fax: 0207 727 2030 Web: www.domusnova.com Domus loves: K Lounge Bar, K West Hotel & Spa

DOMUS NOVA_OCT.indd 26

26/09/2012 18:00

HILLGATE STREET, W8 ÂŁ 7,950,000 Freehold

A new build contemporary house designed

by Seth Stein Architects.

Set behind a traditional façade within Hillgate Village in Notting Hill Gate, the plan extends 26 metres (85 ft) in length and provides accommodation on four floors, arranged around a courtyard that steps back on each level. The house consists of three principal bedroom suites and a guest/housekeeper suite. It provides two separate living areas on two levels for formal and less formal living. There is also an integral garage and in total, four terraces.

DOMUS NOVA_OCT.indd 27

26/09/2012 18:00

CLARENDON ROAD, W11 ÂŁ1,450 per week

Interior-designed by Patricia Engelhart and located in the heart of Notting Hill.

This unique three bedroom property is accessed via a raised ground floor mezzanine level, partly dedicated to a home study area.

The space overlooks an informal living area and a well-designed kitchen and dining room.

Large glass doors lead onto a private terrace, that provides access to communal gardens.

The remainder of the property comprises a first floor reception room, indulgent master bedroom suite, two bedrooms and one family bathroom.

17 Kensington Park Road, London W11 2EU

Email: info@domusnova.com Tel: 0207 727 1717 Fax: 0207 727 2030 Web: www.domusnova.com Domus loves: Summerill & Bishop, Clarendon Cross

DOMUS NOVA_OCT.indd 28

26/09/2012 18:01

SCAMPSTON MEWS, W10 ÂŁ1,050 per week

A beautiful three bedroom mews home, enthused with bohemian charm and style.

Recently refurbished and located on a private gated mews, the property comprises an impressive open-plan living space, incorporating a bright reception and contemporary kitchen area. The first floor unites the spacious master bedroom with exposed brick walls and a smart family bathroom, alongside a home study. The upper level is entirely dedicated to a bright loft style bedroom which benefits from an en suite shower room. The property also offers a parking space for one car.

DOMUS NOVA_OCT.indd 29

26/09/2012 18:01

S&P Ad Template_Sales LHP:S&P Ad Template_Sales LHP 19/03/2012 18:34 Page 5

Chelsea Fulham Kensington Knightsbridge Notting Hill West Chelsea

Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales

020 020 020 020 020 020

7225 7731 7938 7235 7221 7373

3866 7100 3666 9959 1111 1010

Lettings Lettings Lettings Lettings Lettings Lettings

020 020 020 020 020 020

7589 7731 7938 7235 7221 7373

9966 7100 3866 9959 1111 1010

struttandparker.com

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Lower MallHillHammersmith W6 W8 Winchendon Road Road SW6 Campden Court Fulham Kensington 6,431 sqftsqft (597.5 2,002 sq sq ft (228.93 (186 sq m) 2,464 ft sqsqm)m)

Fulham

fulham@struttandparker.com

020 7225 3866

A Vicarage, Grade II listed, Georgian house excellent Anformer opportunity to this purchase an immaculately presented house This completely refurbished, interior designed, third floor with flat (with lift) is situated in a much sought after red views, benefits prime position on thisrenovation iconic stretch of the Thames. whichbuilding has undergone a comprehensive programme. brick infrom leafyaKensington.

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|| | ||| || | || || | Cloakroom Garden Three double bedrooms Bathroom Shower room Storage room Seven bedrooms Five bath/shower rooms Conservatory/study Kitchenette Utility Cloakroom Self-contained one bedroom flat | | | | | | | | | |

Scan this QR code with

Hall entrance Drawing room Kitchen/dining room Four en suite bedrooms room Reception room Eat-in-kitchen room Master bedroom with enUtility suite bathroom Dressing roomKitchen/dining your camera phone Two halls Drawing roomUtility Music room Dining room Library Office/study Family room roomto read Asking price £1,795,000 Freehold £3,250 per week Unfurnished Asking price £5,500,000 Freehold

Kensington Lettings 0207100 7938 3866 Fulham Sales 020 7731

S&P-FINAL.INSIDE PAGES.2.indd 2 PARKER_OBC.indd 1 STRUTT AND PARKER6.indd 3

more about this property.

Free QR code readers are available for download from our website at struttandparker.com/qrcode

26/09/2012 15:50 16:57 29/08/2012 14:59 21/06/2012

CD2

HON KONG

Where will we find your perfect buyer?

At Strutt & Parker, we’ve always gone to great lengths to bring the right buyer to your door, using our knowledge, contacts and total commitment to achieve the sale you want. But now we go further than ever. As members of the Christie’s International Real Estate network, we can reach quality buyers in 42 countries via 1,049 offices and a website visited 135,600 times a month.

There’s no better way to open your door to the world.

103 Kensington Church Street London, W8 7LN Tel: +44 (0)20 7938 3666 kensington@struttandparker.com struttandparker.com/christies

14:59 15:50

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26/09/2012 26/09/2012 16:57 14:47

S&P Ad Template_Sales LHP:S&P Ad Template_Sales LHP 19/03/2012 18:34 Page 5

Chelsea Fulham Kensington Knightsbridge Notting Hill West Chelsea

Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales

020 020 020 020 020 020

7225 7731 7938 7235 7221 7373

3866 7100 3666 9959 1111 1010

Lettings Lettings Lettings Lettings Lettings Lettings

020 020 020 020 020 020

7589 7731 7938 7235 7221 7373

9966 7100 3866 9959 1111 1010

struttandparker.com

Kensington Park Road 466 sq ft (43.2 sq m)

| Notting Hill | W11

A newly refurbished one bedroom flat on the first floor of a period conversion, situated on this very desirable street in Notting Hill.

Reception

| Open plan kitchen | Double bedroom | Bathroom | Utility room | Balcony | Access to communal gardens

Asking price £650per week Furnished

Notting Hill Lettings 020 7221 1111

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Ladbroke HillRoad Lower MallGrove Hammersmith W6W11 SW6 Winchendon RoadNotting Fulham 700 sqsq ft ft(63 sq m) m)sq m) 6,431 sqftsqft (597.5 2,002 (186 sq

Fulham

fulham@struttandparker.com

020 7225 3866

A former beautifully presented first flooran bedroom flat presented which benefits from a wonderful open plan entertaining space A Vicarage, Grade II two listed, Georgian house with house excellent An opportunity to this purchase immaculately with high ceilings. views, benefits from a prime position on thisrenovation iconic stretch of the Thames. which has undergone a comprehensive programme.

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| || | | || | | | | Notting Hill Sales 020 7221 1111

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Scan this QR code with

Drawing roomhalls Kitchen Tworoom bedrooms Bathroom Hall Drawing room Kitchen/dining room room Four en suiteroom bedrooms room your camera phone Two entrance Drawing Music Dining LibraryUtility Office/study Family room Kitchen/dining roomto read more about this property.

Asking price £750,000 Leasehold Cloakroom Garden Seven bedrooms Five bath/shower rooms Conservatory/study Kitchenette Utility Cloakroom Self-contained one bedroom flat Asking price Asking price £1,795,000 £5,500,000 Freehold Freehold

Fulham Sales 020 7731 7100

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Free QR code readers are available for download from our website at struttandparker.com/qrcode

26/09/2012 15:50 16:57 29/08/2012 14:59 21/06/2012

CD2

Where will we find your perfect buyer?

At Strutt & Parker, we’ve always gone to great lengths to bring the right buyer to your door, using our knowledge, contacts and total commitment to achieve the sale you want. But now we go further than ever. As members of the Christie’s International Real Estate network, we can reach quality buyers in 42 countries via 1,049 offices and a website visited 135,600 times a month.

There’s no better way to open your door to the world.

303 Westbourne Grove London, W11 2QA Tel: +44 (0)20 7221 1111 nottinghill@struttandparker.com struttandparker.com/christies

14:59 15:50

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26/09/2012 26/09/2012 16:57 14:47

PRIME PURCHASE

Absolutely is coveting this sumptuous house in Westbourne Park Road W2 128

PROPERTY PRIME PURCHASE.indd 128

27/09/2012 16:30

ABSOLUTELY | PROPERT Y

T

his is a magnificent white stucco-fronted town house in an excellent Notting Hill location. Set back from the street on a large corner plot, it has a particularly grand entrance and having been completely overhauled and architecturally redesigned, it now stylishly fuses period and contemporary looks.

The houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s triple aspect allows an abundance of natural light to flow throughout and it has a large wrap-around patio garden stretching from the front to rear.

The raised ground floor is awash with period features and has a sumptuous triple-aspect double reception room with handmade oak chevron parquet flooring extending into the hallway complete with under-floor heating, feature fireplaces with William IV style marble surrounds, traditional folding shutters and high ceilings with integrated speakers. An

elegant cloakroom is tucked away just off the hallway for discreet convenience.

There is a bespoke Roundhouse open plan kitchen/dining room with a host of luxurious features, while bedroom accommodation is generous and includes an indulgent high ceilinged first floor master suite and a walk-in dressing room with a walnut finish. There are three further sumptuous double bedrooms and two beautifully appointed bathrooms.

The house is on the market at ÂŁ4,500,000 Tenure Freehold.

Gross internal area 269 sq m/2,896 sq ft approx.

Bective Leslie Marsh 020 7221 4805 205 Westbourne Grove W11 2SB www.bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk nottinghill@bectiveleslie marsh.co.uk

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advertisement feature

Finding an agent you can trust

Rollo Miles John D Wood & Co.

I

can’t believe October is already upon us.

Time seems to move faster and faster, and before I know it my little ones will have grown up and flown the nest.

Time is a strange thing and to us estate agents, with our gusto working in seasons, some periods are much busier than others.

This year we have found we are a couple of months out of kilter; with our wonderful summer of sporting events and Jubilee celebrations many potential buyers and vendors had put their moving plans on hold.

They have now, however, returned to the market in force and we can certainly feel the difference.

Every day I am meeting potential new clients at their properties, and my team are registering a lot of fresh new buyers. Agents across London are chasing new stock and trying to convince vendors to instruct them over one another; the easiest way of doing this is by giving them a ‘glory price’ and promising them the world. In this climate this could be a counterproductive method of selling. It is of course only human nature, if I was thinking of selling my property and invited several agents to pitch and one said my property was worth 10 bananas, and two others said 12 bananas or even sometimes 15 bananas, I would probably go with the one which said 12 or 15. When an agent suggests a price, it is so important to really quiz them and ask them to justify their thoughts. You do not want your property languishing on the market for months nor to listen to the same story from your agent about tough market conditions and have to eventually reduce the asking price. Instead of the whole process being straightforward, you will put yourself through a roller coaster of emotions. Here at John D Wood & Co. we do our best to always give our clients the right advice whether they decide to work with us or not.

The second most important factor when appointing an agent is to understand what type of buyers they deal with. In the last six months, more than 60% of our local sales in have been to international buyers, and

FULL PAGE.indd 1 Oct12.indd 1 Absolutely Notting Hill

For sale in Holland Park, W11

the percentage is growing. With such a strong London wide reach and a thorough knowledge of this world city, we are at the forefront of the industry and a natural choice for people relocating here. More importantly in the last six month over 80% of our sales have been to cash buyers making the property transaction much smoother and quicker, especially at a time where getting a mortgage is not as straight forward as it was pre-credit crunch.

At John D Wood & Co. traditional values and a straight-talking approach go hand in hand with modern technology. That is why we are different and why our clients trust us. Our team of professional staff are always on hand to assist. With the opening of our seventh office in the Royal Borough How our buyers are funded

Cash Finance

For sale in Luxemburg Gardens, W6

Guide Price £5,500,000

of Kensington & Chelsea on Ladbroke Grove in early November we will continue to extend our expertise across the area.

This new Ladbroke Grove office will work closely with our existing Holland Park and Kensington offices and the rest of John D Wood & Co.’s branch network to go the extra mile in finding you the right buyer.

If you are thinking of selling or would just like some professional advice, please do not hesitate to contact me.

020 7727 2233 rmiles@johndwood.co.uk.

www.johndwood.co.uk Where our buyers come from

United Kingdom Europe Africa Middle East N. America Asia Russia and CIS

Guide Price £3,500,000

26/09/2012 21/09/2012 19:08 17:53

JOHN D WOOD & CO.NNECTED Our worldwide connections through our e-marketing attract over 70% of our buyers.

The remainder come through our extensive print advertising, our network of contacts developed over the last 140 years and, importantly, word of mouth recommendation.

FULL PAGE.indd 1 Oct12.indd 2 Absolutely Notting Hill

26/09/2012 21/09/2012 19:08 17:53

HOLLAND PARK COURT, W14 A lateral apartment situated in this desirable mansion block. Having recently been extensively refurbished, the apartment boasts spacious living and entertaining space and underfloor heating. Approx. 1,934 sq ft.

4 bedrooms, en suite bathroom, shower room, open-plan reception, dining room, utility, patio garden.

Freehold Share Guide Price ÂŁ2,400,000

ADDISLAND COURT, W14 A striking apartment with private garage, positioned on the 2nd floor of this beautiful Art Deco apartment block in Holland Park. Approx. 1,609 sq ft.

4 bedrooms, en suite bathroom, 2 shower rooms, reception, 2 balconies, porter, lift.

Freehold Share Guide Price ÂŁ2,250,000

HOLLAND PARK 020 7727 2233 hln.sales@johndwood.co.uk

FULL PAGE.indd 1 Oct12.indd 3 Absolutely Notting Hill

www.johndwood.co.uk

26/09/2012 21/09/2012 19:09 17:53

ADDISON ROAD, W14 An elegant Victorian family house with a 58 ft. west facing garden and off-street parking. Offered in good decorative condition and providing both comfortable living and generous entertaining space, arranged over four floors.

4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite), 2 shower rooms, 2 reception rooms, dining room, utility room, off-street parking.

Freehold Guide Price ÂŁ4,950,000

5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, shower room, double reception room, dining room, utility room, storage room, garden.

Freehold Guide Price ÂŁ2,650,000

KENSINGTON 020 7908 1100 kcs.sales@johndwood.co.uk

FULL PAGE.indd 1 Oct12.indd 4 Absolutely Notting Hill

D

R GEN E FO

IONS AT R

An attractive west facing family house arranged over four floors, approached via a pretty front garden. The house provides generous living accommodation and is in need of modernisation. Approx. 2,225 sq ft.

TRUSTE

EARLS COURT ROAD, W8

140 Years of Property

18

72 - 2 012

www.johndwood.co.uk

26/09/2012 21/09/2012 19:10 17:54

We would like to thank all of our clients for their support in our first year of business.

Wilfords London is an independent estate agency based in the heart of Kensington. We sell and rent Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest properties offering you a bespoke service and outstanding results

6 Holland Street W8 4LT I +44(0)20 7361 0400 I www.wilfords.com I info@wilfords.com

WILFORDS_Notting Hill_OCT.2.indd 1

26/09/2012 15:34

Bullingham Mansions, W8

ÂŁ1.7m

1200 Sq. ft / 112 Sq. M | 3 Bedrooms | Leasehold â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 99 Years unexpired | RBKC A beautifully presented and spacious apartment located on the lower ground floor within a handsome period building.

Wilfords London, 6 Holland Street W8 4LT wilfords.com

WILFORDS_Notting Hill_OCT.2.indd 2

+44(0)20 7361 0400

26/09/2012 15:35

Denbigh Road, W11

ÂŁ1.75m

1,252 Sq. Ft / 117 Sq. M | 2 Bedrooms | Leasehold - 990 Years Unexpired | RBKC A wonderfully bright two bedroom apartment with spectacular south-westerly facing garden.

Wilfords London, 6 Holland Street W8 4LT wilfords.com

WILFORDS_Notting Hill_OCT.2.indd 3

+44(0)20 7361 0400

26/09/2012 15:35

Westbourne Terrace, W2

ÂŁ800 per week

954 Sq. Ft / 89 Sq. M | 2 Bedrooms | Long let | Westminster A beautiful two bedroom flat close to Paddington and the open spaces of Hyde Park.

Wilfords London, 6 Holland Street W8 4LT wilfords.com

WILFORDS_Notting Hill_OCT.2.indd 4

+44(0)20 7361 0400

26/09/2012 15:35

Chelsea 020 7589 6677

Kensington 020 7795 4288

Notting Hill 020 7221 4805

Ladbroke Grove 020 7221 0330

Brook Green 020 7603 5181

Refreshingly different estate agents | bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk

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We believe in going the extra mile You expect great service and this is precisely what we deliver. We also know that our business is built on personal recommendations so we try a little harder and walk the extra yards to exceed our clients’ expectations.

Matthew Marchant, head of sales in Ladbroke Grove, is typical of our staff. He relies on his in depth market knowledge to deliver the optimum outcome when selling your home.

“Clients like my understated confidence and ability to deliver outstanding results. It may be why so many of our clients – 97% in fact - are happy to recommend us.”

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Chelsea 020 7589 6677

Kensington 020 7795 4288

Notting Hill 020 7221 4805

Ladbroke Grove 020 7221 0330

Brook Green 020 7603 5181

bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk

Designer Chic

Westbourne Park Road Notting Hill W2 A charming three bedroom period house (184 sq m/1,980 sq ft approx.) in this wonderful Notting Hill location. The property boasts many features including high ceilings, period fireplaces, wooden floors, floor to ceiling windows and original shutters. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite), 2 cloakrooms, double reception room, dining room, kitchen, front and rear garden, roof terrace.

Freehold ÂŁ2,500,000 Notting Hill office bc@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7221 4805

Refreshingly different estate agents

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Palatial Apartment

Palace Court Notting Hill W2 A magnificent raised ground floor apartment (226 sq m/2,432 sq ft approx.) in this secure, professionally portered mansion building. The property boasts a 40 ft interconnecting double reception room with southerly views of Palace Court, a large kitchen/breakfast room and three spacious bedrooms all with en suite bathrooms. 3 bedrooms, 3 en suite bathrooms, cloakroom, 2 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, shared patio.

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Share of Freehold ÂŁ3,650,000 Notting Hill office bc@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7221 4805

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Chelsea 020 7589 6677

Kensington 020 7795 4288

Notting Hill 020 7221 4805

Ladbroke Grove 020 7221 0330

Brook Green 020 7603 5181

bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk

Lateral Elegance

Holland Park Gardens Kensington W14 An outstanding lateral apartment (180 sq m/1,934 sq ft approx.) situated in a handsome and well maintained building in the heart of the Royal Borough. The property is in immaculate condition throughout having recently been meticulously refurbished and beautifully designed to exacting standards boasting vast room proportions. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, dining room, guest cloakroom, patio garden, lift access.

Share of Freehold ÂŁ2,400,000 Kensington office kt@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7795 4288

Refreshingly different estate agents

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Period Grandeur

Holland Park Notting Hill W2 A charming three bedroom period house (184 sq m/1,980 sq ft approx.) in this wonderful Notting Hill location. The property boasts many features including high ceilings, period fireplaces, wooden floors, floor to ceiling windows and original shutters. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite), 2 cloakrooms, double reception room, dining room, kitchen, front and rear garden, roof terrace.

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Freehold ÂŁ2,800,000 Kensington office kt@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7795 4288

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Chelsea 020 7589 6677

Kensington 020 7795 4288

Notting Hill 020 7221 4805

Ladbroke Grove 020 7221 0330

Brook Green 020 7603 5181

bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk

Park Life

The Avenue Queen’s Park NW6 A rare opportunity to acquire one of the original Victorian houses (310 sq m/3,670 sq ft approx.) on this popular street just north of Queen’s Park. The property has been comprehensively refurbished yet retaining much of its original charm and is truly a wonderful family home. Master bedroom with en suite shower room and dressing room, 4 further bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, cloakroom, reception room, reception room/dining room, kitchen, utility room, store, cellar, terrace, garage, 150 ft garden, off street parking.

Freehold £2,750,000 Ladbroke Grove office mm@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7221 0330

Refreshingly different estate agents

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Beautiful Home

McGregor Road Notting Hill W11 A stunning four storey Victorian house (241 sq m/2,591 sq ft approx.) that combines contemporary and traditional features with practical family living and has been finished with an eye for detail. McGregor Road runs between All Saints Road and St Lukes Road and is minutes from the fashionable restaurants Westbourne Grove and Notting Hill. 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (2 en suite), cloakroom, reception room, kitchen/dining room, study area, terrace, patio, walled garden.

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Freehold ÂŁ3,475,000 Ladbroke Grove office mm@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7221 0330 JSA Crayson 020 7221 1117

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Chelsea 020 7589 6677

Kensington 020 7795 4288

Notting Hill 020 7221 4805

Ladbroke Grove 020 7221 0330

Brook Green 020 7603 5181

bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk

Hidden Gem

Jay Mews South Kensington SW7 An exceptionally well designed and stylish mews house ideally located in the heart of the Royal Borough. The property is in excellent condition throughout and boasts extensive and luxurious living and entertaining space over three floors. 5 bedrooms, 4 en suite bathrooms, double reception room, kitchen, dining room, 2 cloakrooms, 2 terraces, garage.

Period Elegance

McGregor Road Notting Hill W11 An elegant house finished in a contemporary style whilst retaining period features. The property boasts a wealth of reception space, ideal for entertaining and a large master en suite with a luxurious bathroom. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite), 1 shower room, double reception room, kitchen/dining room, study, 2 cloakrooms, utility room, balcony, garden.

Furnished/Unfurnished ÂŁ4,750 per week Kensington office to@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7795 4288

Furnished ÂŁ4,500 per week (SHORT LET) Notting Hill office kf@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7221 5388

Refreshingly different estate agents

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Lateral Living

Cadogan Gardens Chelsea SW3 A stunning fourth floor flat (with lift) in this portered block overlooking the beautiful communal gardens. The property offers bright and spacious accommodation with well proportioned room sizes. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite), shower room, double reception room, kitchen, lift, porter.

Excellent Entertaining

Scampston Mews North Kensington W10

Furnished ÂŁ3,300 per week Chelsea office to@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7795 4288

Furnished/Unfurnished ÂŁ1,050 per week

A stylishly refurbished mews house laid out over three floors with private off street Notting Hill office parking. The property boasts a large open plan reception space ideal for entertaining, with wood flooring and a wood burner and a spacious master en suite. 3 bedrooms, bathroom, kf@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7221 5388 en suite shower room, reception room, kitchen, cloakroom, off street parking space.

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Completely at home in London Whether you want to buy, sell, let or rent, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re completely at home in London and best placed to help you.

Visit kfh.co.uk or your local KFH branch in Bayswater.

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Hyde Park Street, Hyde Park, W2 £3,500,000 Leasehold Bayswater 020 7724 1222 Email sbw@kfh.co.uk

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Positioned steps away from Hyde Park, this elegant, bright and spacious split level apartment is arranged over the top two floors of an imposing stucco fronted period conversion with a lift.

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Three double bedrooms Spacious drawing room Elegant living space 18ft kitchen/diner Large storage cupboard Bright double aspect Lift Close to Paddington station

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Westbourne Terrace, Bayswater, W2 £749,950 Shared freehold Bayswater 020 7724 1222 Email sbw@kfh.co.uk

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A magnificent one bedroom apartment boasting stylish contemporary design and elegant period features including high ceilings. This property is located moments from Hyde Park and Lancaster Gate underground station.

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Beautiful period charm Classic high ceilings Wood floors Handsome living room Large bedroom Mezzanine level Moments to Hyde Park Near Paddington station

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Queensborough Terrace, Bayswater, W2 £1,300,000 Leasehold Bayswater 020 7724 1222 Email sbw@kfh.co.uk

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A modern two bedroom split level central London penthouse flat located moments from Hyde Park and the wide array of shops and restaurants offered by Queensway and Westbourne Grove.

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Spacious penthouse flat Full width terrace Well planned living space Two bedrooms Two bathrooms Stylish modern kitchen Lift Near Paddington station

25/09/2012 09:53 12:06 14/09/2012

PROPERTY

Absolutelyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monthly overview of the market BATHING BEAUTIES The Bathing Beauties exhibition, proudly sponsored by Bective Leslie Marsh, opened its doors on 14 September at Great Western Studios. The launch party was a huge success and the attendees enjoyed an evening of admiring the weird and wonderful beach huts on display. The exhibition which ran for two weeks showcased 100 maquets showing the virtuosity of the simple British Beach Hut. The innovative work was built from the minds of over 200 architects, artists and designers from 15 different countries. bectivelesliemarsh. co.uk

NOTES

MUSICAL SOCIETY Mountgrange Heritage are delighted to continue their sponsorship of the Kensington and Chelsea Music Society for the seventh year running. In residence again at Leighton House, KCMS does an excellent job of showcasing talented classical musicians. This seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programme of eight concerts welcomes a number of rising stars as well as seasoned performers to this beautiful venue in Holland Park. The season starts with a return visit from the wonderful Heath Quartet; to find out more about this and all future concerts go to kcmusic.org.uk or pop into any of the Mountgrange Heritage offices where there are a limited number of FREE tickets on offer. mountgrangeheritage.co.uk

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PRICE TALK WITH CRAIG TONKIN OF MARSH & PARSONS Just what can we expect from what has traditionally been one of the busiest times of the year for buying and selling property? There is still a shortage of property, across all price ranges, coming onto the market in Kensington. As a result, competitive bidding wars amongst buyers is guaranteeing great prices for our clients. For example, we recently attracted a number of offers on a fabulous four bedroom lateral apartment in Kensington Court, which sold for £3,700,000, in just a few weeks. Despite the price increases, it’s still vital to market a property at its correct market value; this will generate the most interest and can result in a sales price higher than the marketed price. Smart sellers know that if they want to sell their property before Christmas, they need to act now. There’s not much time until the holiday season starts, especially when you consider that everyone in the industry (except us), including solicitors and the banks, start to wind down at the beginning of December. So act fast! ctonkin@marshandparsons.co.uk

RENTAL DEMANDS

by Marc von Grundherr, Director, Benham and Reeves Residential Lettings

RUTH BLOOMFIELD ON THE LURE OF THE OLD If where we live says much about who we are then it is hard to imagine what future generations will make of us inhabitants of the early 21st century.

The warlike Romans built their forts, the first lot of Elizabethans left behind fanciful Italianate mansions, and the practical Victorians invented the terrace.

London’s contribution to the evolution of British architecture looks like being cavernous lateral flats and supersized new build mansions - some of which are so vast, and with so many leisure facilities, that their occupants need rarely venture outside their electronic gates.

A recent study by property consultant CBRE unearthed the extraordinary fact that buyers will pay a £1.35m premium for a brand new two bedroomed flat in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

There are some sensible reasons for this: overseas buyers, such a strong force in Notting Hill and

Business is brisk, with rental demand in Notting Hill higher than ever. We recorded our busiest ever month in August, with the number of applicants up 23% on August 2011. The number of tenancies concluded was up 19% on August 2011. Subsequently the number of tenants concluded in September was up 19% compared to Sept 2011.

Over 75% of these were for the full asking rental.

The situation is similar in Kensington, with September also phenomenally busy. 24 month leases with a one-year break clause are on the rise, suggesting greater confidence in job security and a desire by tenants to fi x their rent in case rents rise. brlets.co.uk

Kensington, see a stigma in ‘second-hand’ homes and don’t want to spend time and effort on maintaining a lovely white stucco home on Pembridge Gardens or an elegant townhouse on Campden Hill Square.

And buyers rightly suspect a new home is more economical to run than a period beauty.

But entire streets of historic homes are now being ‘upcycled’, the facades left pristine but the innards gutted and reformed.

Perhaps this is simply progress, but anyone who has visited one of these Tardis homes - extended up, down, backwards and sideways - will know there is something sterile about a property designed to mimic the style and comfort of a five star hotel.

But knowing all the quirks of a leaky, creaky old house says ‘home’ in a way that no amount of Carrera marble and basement fitness suites ever will.

Ruth Bloomfield

NEW LAUNCH Newman Property Acquisitions are a new independent buying and search agency. Director Paul Newman has worked in the London property market for over a decade and has a proven track record and success ratio. NPA has an extensive knowledge of the market, enabling them to secure a wide range of properties, from luxury apartments, family homes, buy-to-let investments, land and renovation projects. info@NPAproperty.com 020 7504 1315

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Absolutely

THE

D&G diary

H

ello autumn, has anyone else felt the brusque morning chill in the air? After all the hype and hysteria that spread across London during the summer, we were hopeful of a busy start to the month. Notting Hill Carnival left an exciting buzz and with various new ventures cropping up, notably the new champagne and chocolate bar next door, Alexeeva & Jones, as well as The Orchard around the corner which is proving to be the perfect new lunch spot, we are really quite lucky.

Our latest recruit, Nicholas Le Ny-Clarke, has joined our Kensington office and so we have an even stronger team with which to tackle some great new instructions.

We were the leading office in the company in August and second in July, showing quite how strong this area is – prices are continuing to rise and with stock levels still being rather low and yet lots of hungry buyers there is huge demand. Good properties are selling very quickly and often at or near the asking price so if you are deliberating a move it is a very sensible time indeed.

Maddie Lewington, 020 7727 7777; dng.co.uk

MARTIN BIKHIT KAY & CO ON MIDDLE EASTERN BUYERS The market has returned to W2 with an early flurry of activity in September.

Buyers’ interests have awoken from the domestic and international markets with a particular strong influx of purchasers from the Middle East. Continuing problems and the prospect of further instability in the region is prompting high net worth individuals to plough significant amounts of money into this part of London. Indeed about 40% of our registered buyers originate from this part of the world. This desire to spread risk and diversify interests beyond the region is further helped by the fact that compared to the price peak in prime central London property which took place in the third quarter of of 2007, buyers from the Middle East are now benefitting from price discounts of as much as 30 per cent, due to the lower value of sterling. Given that no immediate appreciation in the value of sterling is predicted it is extremely likely that this advantage is set to continue for the foreseeable future. Our largest clients are currently seeking to acquire a combination of properties which will offer a balanced portfolio made up of smaller flats or apartment buildings which offer a sound rental return as well as larger lateral trophy apartments and well situated low-built houses which offer long term capital appreciation. However, a continuing restriction in supply is causing the overall market in W2 to shrink.

Land registry data has recorded sales transactions down from 344 in the first half of 2011 to 328 in the first half of 2012, a reduction of 4.65%, which helps to underpin values. Kay & Co, m.bikhit@kayandco.com

W2

Paul Hyman, Sales Manager of Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward’s Bayswater branch MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS...

Four Seasons, 84 Queensway.

Famed for their delicious Roast Duck you are always guaranteed a great meal.

Be sure to book, as they are constantly busy.

THE BEST KEPT SECRET IS...

The perfectly manicured private gardens of Cleveland Square. They host the best garden parties in W2.

THE FINEST PLACE FOR A COCKTAIL IS...

Westbourne House, 65 Westbourne Grove With a superb host of classics and an impressive array of original concoctions, it’s a wonderful place to unwind.

THE MOST STYLISH BOUTIQUE IS...

Ming Lampson’s art-deco style atelier at 108 Talbot Road is a truly inspirational and ultra-stylish boutique. mingjewellery.com

A LOST HOUR WOULD BE SPENT...

Browsing the stalls on Portobello Road. With so much on offer, from food to clothes to antiques, it is always worth a wander.

AN EXCEPTIONAL PROPERTY IS...

Lancaster Gate, W2 £1,650,000 – Share of freehold Contact Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward’s Bayswater branch 020 7724 1222

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Hamptons Kensington Lettings. 020 7937 9372 kensingtonlettings@hamptons-int.com

Stafford Terrace,W8 W8- -£650pw, £2,950 Furnished per week, furnished Cheniston Gardens, A fantastic 3 bedroom maisonette on the sought after streets of the Phillimore Estate. The property has wooden floors throughout, an integrated remote An immaculately refurbished two bedroom apartment in the heart of Kensington. The apartment comprises a bright open plan reception and kitchen with controlled sound system, lutron lighting, underfloor heating, a roof terrace and a garden to the rear. wooden floors, a modern bathroom and two double bedrooms with good storage. The apartment is furnished to a high standard.

Gold Winner in Best for Property Management Gold Winner in Best for Property Management Hamptons International has been crowned Gold Winner in Best for Property Management and at the 2011 Lettings Agency of the Year Awards

The right buyers and tenants delivered fast since 1869.

Hamptons International has been crowned Gold Winner in Best for Property Management and at the 2011 Lettings Agency of the Year Awards inFor association with The Sunday Times and The Times, recognising Hamptons’ commitment to exceptional customer service and its status as an more information go to www.hamptons.co.uk in association with The Sunday Times and The Times, recognising Hamptons’ commitment to exceptional customer service and its status as an employer of choice. Call us to find out more about how our Property Management Services can help us meet your property requirements. employer of choice. Call us to find out more about how our Property Management Services can help us meet your property requirements.

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Hamptons Notting Hill Sales. 020 7717 5469 nottinghill@hamptons-int.com

Colville Terrace, W11 - £2,500,000 - Leasehold On the raised ground and ground floors of a beautifully refurbished building.

This duplex flat has a great-sized living space with sleek open-plan kitchen and reception room opening onto a landscaped garden.

Queensdale Road, W11 - £1,450,000 - Share of Freehold

Talbot Road, W11 - £850,000 - Leasehold On the top floor of a corner end-of-terrace period building. The living room faces south so is flooded with light and has far reaching views down Ledbury Road.

This one bedroom flat also has a large decked roof terrace.

Westbourne Grove, W11 - £450,000 - Leasehold

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On one of the preferred leafy streets in Holland Park, this apartment is tastefully finished in a contemporary style, with a large living room, two bedrooms downstairs and a roof terrace.

A bright one bedroom, purpose built flat which has been tastefully refurbished with direct access to communal gardens, just off Portobello Road.

24/09/2012 17:29

Hamptons Notting Hill Lettings. 020 7034 0405 nottinghilllettings@hamptons-int.com

Pembridge Villas, W11 - £1,200 per week furnished/part furnished A stunning modern and recently refurbished two bedroom conversion flat with wood floors, good storage and benefiting from a generous garden with private decked terrace.

Wilby Mews, W11 - £1,275 per week unfurnished A charming three bedroom mews house offering bright and spacious accommodation and located in this superb quiet mews in the heart of Notting Hill complete with its own private garden.

Portobello Road, W11 - £1,000 per week unfurnished A two bedroom flat on the world famous Portobello Road in an end of terrace Victorian building. The apartment has its own front door at street level with a hallway leading up to the first floor living room. The property has a fantastic roof terrace with great views along Portobello Road.

St Lawrence Terrace, W10 - £2,500 per week unfurnished A fabulous, newly refurbished five bedroom family home with wood floors throughout and a contemporary paved garden. This house is located just moments from the local amenities of Notting Hill Gate and Holland Park.

Gold Winner in Best for Property Management

The right buyers and tenants delivered fast since 1869.

Hamptons International has been crowned Gold Winner in Best for Property Management and at the 2011 Lettings Agency of the Year Awards For more information go to www.hamptons.co.uk in association with The Sunday Times and The Times, recognising Hamptons’ commitment to exceptional customer service and its status as an employer of choice. Call us to find out more about how our Property Management Services can help us meet your property requirements.

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ABSOLUTELY | PROPERT Y TAVISTOCK ROAD NOTTING HILL W11

This beautifully presented three bedroom house, occupying approximately 2,200 sq ft, is arranged over four floors. The property has excellent entertaining space, including a wonderful drawing room on the raised ground floor and a large kitchen/family room on the lower ground floor. The dining area has folding doors leading to a private south-east facing garden.

Price upon application through Strutt and Parker 020 7221 1111

LIVING THE

DREAM

Absolutely’s monthly overview of the market

UP YOUR STREET with Rollo Miles from John D Wood & Co

WARWICK GARDENS W14 A wonderful period family house with an elegant fi rst floor drawing room along with five bedrooms and a good sized garden. The house is on the market for the fi rst time in 40 years and could now benefit from modernisation.

Guide Price £ 2.95m Through Carter Jonas, 020 7371 1111

Holland Park W11

CARANDAY VILLAS W11

A meticulously well-presented, contemporary three double bedroom house offering superb openplan living, master bedroom with en-suite shower room, two further double bedrooms and second bathroom. There’s a constant sense of brightness and space throughout the house, with light flooding in from a large glass-panelled skylight.

The house benefits from a secure garage as well as off-street parking. This property would make an ideal home for a young family, investor or someone simply looking for a secure base in central London.

Asking Price £1,600,000 Freehold (subject to contract) Through Jackson-Stops & Staff , 020 7727 5111

This stunning property has recently undergone a comprehensive refurbishment by a contemporary French interior designer. The apartment offers a bright interior, high ceilings and elegant proportions. Situated on the second floor of a spectacular period building (with lift), and overlooking Holland Park, its oversized windows, which open onto balconies, allow magnificent views from both facades. It is a few yards away from the entrance to the park.

Guide Price £1,050,000 L/H Through John D Wood 020 7727 2233

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Oxford Gardens, W10 ÂŁ6,850,000 Freehold An outstanding double-fronted detached period house on one of the best streets in North Kensington offering extensive and flexible family accommodation. The house benefits from a beautiful landscaped garden as well as a self-contained flat with one bedroom on the lower ground floor. There is the opportunity to configure the space to personal requirements and potential for further development to extend the house significantly (subject to the usual consents). Drawing room, dining room, kitchen breakfast room, family room, master bedroom suite, six bedrooms, three bathrooms (two en-suite), two cloakrooms, two roof terraces and landscaped garden.

Separate flat with reception room, open-plan kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Sole Agents For all enquiries contact: Helen Hope, Associate Director â&#x20AC;&#x201C; North Kensington Office 020 8960 0181 helen@mountgrangeheritage.co.uk

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Stratford Road, W8 £1,400,000 Share of Freehold This charming and bright second and third floor maisonette is situated on one of the most popular streets in W8. The property benefits from well-proportioned rooms, beautiful original wooden flooring throughout and a terrace off the reception room providing glorious views over Kensington. Stratford Road is a beautiful little street offering the many friendly local shops of ‘Stratford Village’ but is also only a few minutes’ walk from all the shops, restaurants and transport facilities of Kensington High Street. The property is also a short walk from Gloucester Road and Earls Court. Reception room, kitchen/breakfast room, two double bedrooms, bathroom, two cloakrooms and terrace. Sole Agents

020 7937 9976 chloe @ mountgrangeheritage.co.uk

Thalia Bryan Director

A new season of music from the Kensington and Chelsea Music Society is about to start at Leighton House. There are eight concerts in the 2012 -2013 programme which starts on Tuesday 23rd October and brings you a recital every month up until May 2013 – don’t miss it! Mountgrange Heritage are proud to sponsor KCMS for the seventh year running and you can drop in to any of our offices now to pick up a programme or you can read it at mountgrangeheritage.co.uk

Kensington Office 020 7937 9976 Notting Hill Office 020 7221 2277 North Kensington Office 020 8960 0181

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Alma Terrace, W8 £4,700 per week A truly magnificent family house in the very heart of Kensington which has been redesigned to optimise space and light throughout. On this sleepy street just south of Kensington High Street in Stratford Village the property faces east and so benefits from a beautiful split-level west-facing garden as well as a wonderful roof terrace. The house offers superb entertaining space including a cinema room as well as generous family living accommodation. The owners designed the house for themselves meaning the attention to detail is unlimited and it feels like a home rather than just a space in which to live. Drawing room, dining room, cinema room, family room, kitchen, master suite, study, five further bedrooms, dressing room/office, dressing room two, utility room, garden and roof terrace.

020 7937 9976 amanda @ mountgrangeheritage.co.uk

At Mountgrange Heritage we don’t just see our local area as somewhere we work but as somewhere we belong; our village. We produce our ‘Village Matters’ newsletter to shout about the great businesses and personalities that make up the village. Pick up the latest copy from one of our offices now or read it at mountgrangeheritage.co.uk

…values that you’ll love FULL PAGE.indd 1

20/09/2012 16:50

beaneypearce.co.uk

Electric living Notting Hill An impressive and bright newly refurbished two double bedroom apartment in a superb location. This property provides an abundance of storage and benefits from a huge terrace at the rear of the property which is perfect for BBQ’s, parties or sunbathing in private and a small terrace at the front of the property so you can absorb the atmosphere of the Portobello Road. (990 sq.ft/ 92.sq.m)

2 bedrooms (1 en-suite)Open plan reception/kitchen 2 bathrooms Private terraces

Unfurnished £1,100 per week 020 7221 9044

Tranquil haven Holland Park A pretty and spacious mews house minutes’ walk from the beautiful open spaces of Holland Park. The property benefits from a spacious open plan reception and kitchen which provides a great entertaining space. Located five minutes’ walk from Holland Park Underground station with excellent transport links to town and the city. The house is also perfectly located for all of the shops restaurants and bars of Notting Hill and Holland Park. This is a very pretty mews house in a truly desirable location.

(1405 sq.ft/ 130.52 sq.m) 2 bedrooms (1 en-suite) Open plan reception/kitchen 2 bathrooms Study Cloakroom Private balcony

Furnished £975 per week 020 7221 9044

Chelsea

Notting Hill

South Kensington

T: 020 7590 9500

T: 020 7221 9044

T: 020 7838 1888

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Established 1991

Classic Victorian Vicarage West Kensington An imposing, semi-detached, double fronted former Vicarage with classically proportioned rooms providing ideal space for entertaining, set behind a ‘Ruskinian Gothic’ façade.

The house is arranged over only four floors, and is by framed by attractive gardens at the front and rear. The rear of the property additionally offers the potential to extend, subject to the necessary consents.

Auriol Road runs parallel to Edith Road and has good transport links to nearby High Street Kensington, as well as to Barons Court and Kensington Olympia.

(3465 sq.ft/ 322 sq.m) 7 bedrooms 4 reception rooms Kitchen/breakfast room 3 bathrooms Front and rear gardens

Freehold £2,485,000 020 7221 9044 JSA Carter Jonas 020 7371 1111

Perfectly positioned private & peaceful Kensington A delightful freehold house in this quiet, charming and unique private mews with excellent entertaining space, three good double bedrooms and a terrace. With windows on both sides, this is a light house with separate access onto Canning Passage. Kensington Gardens is within walking distance, as are the wealth of amenities on Gloucester Road and Kensington High Street. (1,622 sq.ft/ 150.7 sq.m) 3 bedrooms (all en-suite) Double reception room Kitchen/dining room 2 bathrooms Cloakroom Terrace

Freehold £2,795,000 020 7838 1888

BEANEY PEARCE.FINAL.3.indd 3

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16 Lambton Place, Notting Hill London W11 2SH t 020 7243 3535 w www.homesite.co.uk e info@homesite.co.uk

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I found and rented my apartment in Notting Hill thanks to the wonderful team at Homesite. Douglas and Diana were not only really nice when I went to see the apartment, but were also ready to provide any information I needed and willing to answer all of my questions throughout the rest of the process. Since I had just arrived in London from NYC, I was particularly thankful that they guided me through the credit check and other steps, which streamlined the process and made it much less stressful. And they treated everyone like real people, which isn’t always the case in the real estate business. I am looking forward to dealing with them on future issues and would highly recommend the Homesite team to any other apartment seekers.

Georg, tenant

Craven Hill Gardens, W2

PA R K

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N O T T I N G

£575 per week

A bright south facing apartment recently redecorated and offered in very good condition throughout, located on this quiet street a stones throw from Hyde Park. Queensway, with its eclectic mix of restaurants, shops plus both Bayswater & Queensway tube stations, is a short walk away.

Lancaster Gate tube & Paddington Mainline Station (Heathrow Express) are also in close proximity.

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Lorne Gardens, W11

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£477,000

Offered in very good condition, this large one bedroom apartment (736 sq ft) has a state of the art kitchen, including Miele appliances, a generous bathroom and extensive storage throughout. Located in this portered purpose built building situated next to the Kensington Hilton, across from Westfield shopping centre.The property further benefits from excellent transport links close to hand including Shepherd’s Bush and Holland Park tube stations.

Kensington Gardens Square, W2

£640,000

Stylish second floor apartment with high ceilings, wood floors, contemporary kitchen and a modern bathroom. Set within this highly sought after development, the apartment has an underground parking space and full access to the swimming pool, squash court & gymnasium. There is also a twenty four hour porter. Located on Westbourne Grove, the hub of Notting Hill & Bayswater, both Hyde Park & Paddington Mainline Station are also easily accessible.

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SPCACIOUS MODERN LIVING UNIQUEREFURBISHED MEWS HOUSE RECENTLY 1208 SQFT/112.2 SQM MAISONETTE APARTMENT RECEPTION RO OM/KITCHEN 905 SQFT/84.1 SQM T WO D OUBLE BEDRO OMS RECEPTION ROOM/KITCHEN T WO SHOWER RO OMS TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS GUEST WC TBATHROOM WO PATIOS

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£795,000 Under offer

L EF A R SE EE H HO O L D D

Notting Hill Gate Office t: 020 7727 7227 e: nottinghill.sales@anscombes.co.uk 15 Notting Hill Gate, London, W11 3JQ

GARAGE GUEST W/C PRIVATE WEST-FACING GARDEN

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SPCACIOUS MODERN LIVING CHARMING THREE STOREY HOUSE RECENTLY REFURBISHED 1349 SQFT/125.3 SQM MAISONETTE APARTMENT SPACIOUS RECEPTION RO OM 905 SQFT/84.1 SQM L ARGE KITCHEN/DINING RO OM

L EF A R SE EE H HO O L D D

Notting Hill Gate Office

BATHRO OM TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS SHOWER RO OM

t: 020 7727 7227

TERRACE OVERLO OKING PRIVATE GARDENS GUEST W/C BALC ONY PRIVATE WEST-FACING GARDEN GARAGE

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anscombes.co.uk

24/09/2012 15:17 15:03 26/06/2012

faronsutaria.co.uk

SALES & LETTINGS

KENSINGTON CHURCH STREET, W8 A spacious 3rd floor lateral apartment of approx. 1,570 sq ft., conveniently located for the amenities and boutiques of Notting Hill and Kensington High Street. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, reception, caretaker, lift. £2,100,000 Leasehold 020 7229 2404 nottinghill@faronsutaria.co.uk

POWIS TERRACE, W11 A well proportioned maisonette of approx. 1,200 sq ft. with access to a private patio garden from both floors. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen/diner. £1,150,000 Share of Freehold 020 7229 2404 nottinghill@faronsutaria.co.uk

SALES • LETTINGS • AUCTIONS • PROPERTY FINANCE • SURVEYS • CONVEYANCING

FULL PAGE.indd 1 Oct12.indd 5 Absolutely Notting Hill

OUR SERVICE WILL MOVE YOU 26/09/2012 21/09/2012 19:06 17:54

faronsutaria.co.uk

SALES & LETTINGS

KENSINGTON CHURCH STREET, W8 A striking architecturally designed maisonette spanning three floors, with its own private street entrance. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms. £2,400,000 Leasehold 020 7229 2404 nottinghill@faronsutaria.co.uk

LINDEN GARDENS, W2 A penthouse apartment designed to the utmost detail, offering spacious contemporary living. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, roof terrace. £1,350,000 Leasehold 020 7229 2404 nottinghill@faronsutaria.co.uk

SALES • LETTINGS • AUCTIONS • PROPERTY FINANCE • SURVEYS • CONVEYANCING

FULL PAGE.indd 1 Oct12.indd 6 Absolutely Notting Hill

OUR SERVICE WILL MOVE YOU 26/09/2012 21/09/2012 19:06 17:54

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25/09/2012 09:55

“internationally respected locally renowned”

Queen’s Gate, London, SW7 Set in this imposing corner residence, Top floor (lift) One Bedroom, Feature vaulted ceiling to the Reception room.

Plus ‘Pièce de résistance’ a fabulous Roof Terrace with far reaching views WOW.

£1,250,000 Long Lease Sole Agents.

Edwardes Square, W8

Currently being refurbished is this superb two bedroom apartment in this well maintained portered block in this beautiful garden square moments from Kensington High Street & Holland Park. Heating & hot water included

£695 Per Week

0207 937 9777 RICKMANS_OCT.indd 1

Huntsmore House, W8

A fantastic neutrally decorated two bedroom apartment with balcony in this portered block with a private gym, swimming pool, underground parking & communal gardens

£750 Per Week 21 Earls Court Road London W8 6EB

www.rickmanproperties.com 21/09/2012 14:29

ABSOLUTELY | PROPERT Y

LUXURIOUS LETTINGS Contemporary mews living Rede Place, W2

T

his contemporary three bedroom mews house is tucked away close to Westbourne Grove.

The property has been built to the most exacting standard throughout with every detail wonderfully designed and executed. The property is laid out over three floors, on the lower floor a fabulous and spacious kitchen, dining and reception area.

A large glass skylight in the roof has been installed over a glass staircase allowing light to fall through the house from top to bottom.

A further effect of the glass stair design is to pull together the floors in an open plan, integrated manner allowing the house to be free flowing and airy. The house is fully comprehensive, as to be expected from a scheme of this level, with under-floor heating and speakers throughout, wood flooring, high tech security and intelligent lighting. This

is a property with wow factor combining attention to detail, precision and style.

Located within the city of Westminster, local shopping and transport is close to hand in Westbourne Grove and Royal Oak, Bayswater and Notting Hill underground stations. ÂŁ3,000 per week Wilfords London 6 Holland Street, W8 4LT info@wilfords.com 020 7361 0400 wilfords.com 173

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ABSOLUTELY | PROPERT Y

MOVING IN Local agents recommend their favourite local haunts and the best places to...

...entertain the kids TOM’S DELI

...enjoy street life

PORTOBELLO ROAD

... find pampering for mum

Bursting with life, Portobello Road is at the ever-changing heart of Notting Hill. It is home to Portobello Market and is one of the most famous street markets in the world.

Keith Rigby, Director, Bective Leslie Marsh keith.rigby@bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk 020 7221 4805

BEAUTY WORKS WEST

...hang out

...uncover uncover the unusual

...fi find interior inspiration

135 Portland Road, W11 4LW 020 7229 8331 It’s a classic in the area, and there’s good reason for its status as such. I’ve been in and out of Julie’s since the mid-1990s, and whether for a quick cocktail, extravagant dinner or lazy Sunday lunch with the family it always delivers. Extra special on a late summer evening seated outside.

Richard King, Sales Manager, Beaney Pearce, 020 7221 9044; rking@beaneypearce.co.uk

Take a walk down Leinster Gardens and see if you can spot the dummy houses. The entire five-storey facade of the ‘pretend’ houses were built to shares the same balconies, columns and decoration as its neighbours to disguise the railway lines but the game is given away by the 18 blackened windows.

Paul Hyman, Sales Manager Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward 020 3280 3504 phyman@kfh.co.uk

Tara Michelle Interiors Ltd 31 Courtnell Street W2 Whenever I need inspiration or expert advice, I always turn to Tara Michelle Interiors – there really isn’t anything that she doesn’t know about interior design.You are guaranteed to receive excellent, professional advice and Tara will have your property fully furnished and looking fabulous within weeks.

Liza-Jane Kelly, Marsh & Parsons, 020 8846 3497, ljkelly@marshandparsons.co.uk

226 Westbourne Grove W11 020 7221 8818 Without a shadow of a doubt, the best place to take the kids for a treat after school or at the weekend is Toms. With a superb sweetshop in the front and a casual dining area in the back it’s a must for young and old alike. As well as traditional sweets, they offer American candy and their milkshakes are delicious.

Miles Meacock, Strutt & Parker, 020 7221 1111 miles.meacock@struttandparker.com

JULIES RESTAURANT & CHAMPAGNE BAR

LEINSTER GARDENS W2

8-9 Lambton Place, W11 020 7221 2248 beautyworkswest.com When Mrs Hargreaves feels the need for a welldeserved spot of pampering, a trip across the mews into the luxurious surroundings of Beauty Works West to be treated by their wonderful therapists is the order of the day. The big easy massage comes highly recommended.

Nigel Hargreaves, Homesite 020 7243 3535 nhargreaves@homesite.co.uk

TARA MICHELLE INTERIORS LTD

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27/09/2012 16:26

"He who has knowledge without imagination has feet but no wings".

Stanley Goldstein

curtis sloane Holland Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest properties

...Turning local knowledge into magic Follow us on Twitter in October for a chance to

%n 0io IN Wom s mis c

for letting or selling your property T: 020 7221 7755 E: info@curtis-sloane.co.uk

curtis Sloane.FINAL.indd 1

25/09/2012 12:49

London’sLetting LettingAgency Agency London’s www.brlets.co.uk www.brlets.co.uk

Beaufort Park From £250 Beaufort Park £245 pw pw Furn/Unfurn Notting Hill Hill GateFrom From £270 pw Furnished Notting Gate £370 pwFurnished Furnished

Hampstead £395 pw Furnished Furnished Highbury From £350 Furn/Unfurnished West End Frompw £360 pw Kensington £500

Hampstead £475 pwFurnished Furnished Hampstead Furn/Unfurnished Chelsea Borders From£485 £450pw pw Furn/Unfurnished Kensington £640 pw

Studio | 1/2 | 1| Bathrooms Bedroom | |11/2 Bathroom Studio/1/2 Bedrooms 1Studio/1 Bedroom | Bedrooms 1 Reception 1Reception Bathroom 1Near Bathroom | Parking | Gym | Near Amenities Period Conversion | Close to Tube 24hr Porterage | Parking | Gym Portobello Road Amenities | Tube Nearby

Bedrooms | 1 Reception | 1/2 Bathrooms 1Bedroom Bedroom Reception Bathroom 111/2/3 |||111Reception |||111Bathroom Bedroom Reception Bathroom Lift | Porter | Balcony | Near Amenities Prime Location | Hyde Park Nearby Terrace | Tube & Amenities Nearby Prime Location | Garden | Near Hyde Park & Tube

Bedrooms 1 Bathroom Bedrooms 1 Reception Reception 2/3 Bathrooms 12Bedrooms Bedroom || 1|1|1 Reception | |12| Bathroom 22/3 Reception Bathrooms Period Conversion | Heath Nearby Sole Views Agents Terrace | Parking | 24 Hr Porterage River Period Conversion | Balcony | Village Lift | Parking | Close To Amenities &||Location Tube

Beaufort Park 020 8732 7980 beaufortpark@brlets.co.uk Beaufort Park 020 8732 7980 beaufortpark@brlets.co.uk Hyde Park Park 020 7402 9866 hyde@brlets.co.uk Hyde 020 7402 9866 hyde@brlets.co.uk

Hampstead 020 7435 Highgate 2335 Hyde Park020 020 7402 9866 Kensington 0208341 79389681 3522

Hampstead 020 7435 9681 hamp@brlets.co.uk Hampstead 020 7435 9681 hamp@brlets.co.uk Imperial Wharf 020 7348 7620 imperialwharf@brlets.co.uk Kensington 020 7938 3522 kens@brlets.co.uk

Notting Hill Gate £700£700 Kensington £670 pwFurnished Furnished Highgate Borders pw£700 Furn/Unfurnished Highgate Borders pw pw Furn/Unfurn

Notting Hill Kensington Highgate Hampstead

1Bedrooms Bedroom | 1 Reception Bathroom Reception||||2112Bathrooms Bathrooms Bedroom ||| 111Reception Reception Bathroom 441Bedrooms Balcony | 24hr Porterage | Close to Amenities Period House | Garden | Near Amenities | Sole Agents GatedHouse Development | Garden | Parking Period | Garden| |Gym Amenities Nearby

2 Bedrooms Bedrooms | 1 Reception Bathrooms Reception|||2 |222Bathrooms Bathrooms Bedrooms |||111Reception Reception Bathrooms 334 Bedrooms Period House Conversion | Near| Garden Park & High Street Mews | Parking | Sole Agents SecureDevelopment Development| Parking | Porter || Near Amenities Nearby Gated Amenities

2 Bedrooms 1Reception Reception | 2Bathrooms Bathrooms Bedrooms||| |11 322Bedrooms Reception 2 Bathroom Bathrooms Bedrooms Reception || 21 Period Conversion | Amenities &Tube Tube Nearby Garden Flat | Patio | Close to Village Modern | Balcony | Near& Amenities Garden |Development Tube & Amenities Nearby

Chelsea Kensington Highgate St John’s Wood

Kensington West End Borders Highgate Highgate

Knightsbridge Kensington Hampstead Hampstead

Kensington 020 7938 3522 Kensington 020 7938 3522 Highgate 020 8341 2335 Highgate 020 8341 2335

kens@brlets.co.uk kens@brlets.co.uk high@brlets.co.uk high@brlets.co.uk

£1,475 pw Furnished £1,000 pw Furnished £1,150 £895 pw Unfurnished Furn/Unfurn

2 Bedrooms | 1 Reception | 2 Bathrooms Bedrooms | 2|1Reception Reception Bedrooms Receptions 2Bathrooms Bathrooms 352Fitness Bedrooms | |1 | 2||2Bathrooms Suite Parking | 24hr Porterage Garden|| All Porter | Balcony | Garage Garden Amenities & Tube Nearby Lift | Porterage020 | Near Knightsbridge 7581Tube 2112& High Street knight@brlets.co.uk Kensington 020 7938 3522 Highgate 020 2335 Hampstead 020 8341 7435 9681

Nine offices open six days a week: Beaufort Park 020 8732 7980 Nine offices open six days a week: Canary Wharf 0208732 70387980 8057 Beaufort Park 020 City Wharf 0207517 72136088 9700 Canary 020 City 020 7213 9700 BENHAM & REEVES_OCT.NH.FINAL.indd 2 BRL3187AND ANHREEVES2.indd LHP DPS Dec 2011.indd 1 BENHAM 1

kens@brlets.co.uk high@brlets.co.uk hamp@brlets.co.uk

Hampstead Highgate Hampstead Hyde Park Highgate Hyde Park

hamp@brlets.co.uk high@brlets.co.uk hyde@brlets.co.uk kens@brlets.co.uk

Furnished £750 £795 pw£795 Furn/UnFurnished £750 Unfurnished pwpw Furn/Unfurn

Hyde Park 020 7402 9866 Kensington 0208341 79389681 3522 Highgate 020 2335 Hampstead 020 7435

hyde@brlets.co.uk kens@brlets.co.uk high@brlets.co.uk hamp@brlets.co.uk

£1,600 pw Furnished £1,000 Furnished £1,400 Unfurnished £1,700 pwpw Unfurnished

4 Bedrooms | 1 Reception | 2 Bathrooms Bedrooms Reception ||22Bathrooms Bathrooms Bedrooms Reception Bathrooms 43Mansion Bedrooms |||111Reception Apartment | Lift| |3 24hr Porterage Patio | CloseGarden to Hyde Park | Tube Nearby Communal | Parking | Sole Agents Modern Townhouse | Parking Knightsbridge 020 7581 2112 | Garden knight@brlets.co.uk Hyde Park 020 7402 9866 Hampstead 7435 Highgate 020020 8341 23359681

020 7435 9681 020 7435 8341 9681 2335 020 020 8341 7402 2335 9866 020 020 7402 9866

hyde@brlets.co.uk hamp@brlets.co.uk high@brlets.co.uk

Imperial Wharf 020 7348 7620 Kensington Imperial Wharf 020 020 7938 7348 3522 7620 Knightsbridge 020 Kensington 020 7581 7938 2112 3522 020 7581 2112 Knightsbridge

Knightsbridge Hyde Park Highgate Hampstead

pw £900 pw Furnished £895£1,100 pw Furn/Unfurnished £725 pwFurnished Furnished

Knightsbridge 020 7581 2112 Hyde Park 020 7402 9866 Hampstead 020 7435 9681 Hampstead 020 7435 9681

knight@brlets.co.uk hyde@brlets.co.uk hamp@brlets.co.uk hamp@brlets.co.uk

£3,950 pw Furnished £2,000 Furnished £2,000 Unfurnished £1,995 pwpwUnfurnished

3 Bedrooms | 1 Reception | 3 Bathrooms 455Bedrooms | 3 2Receptions 3| 3Bathrooms Bathrooms Bedrooms Receptions Bathrooms Bedrooms Receptions || 3 Fitness Suite| ||3Parking | 24hr Porterage Period Conversion | Garden Near Tube & Hyde| Sole Park Agents Detached House | | Garage Garden | Garage | Tube2112 Nearby knight@brlets.co.uk Knightsbridge 020 7581 Kensington 7938 3522 Hampstead020 020 7435 9681 Hampstead 020 7435 9681

kens@brlets.co.uk hamp@brlets.co.uk hamp@brlets.co.uk

Hong Kong Singapore Hong Kong primelocation.com Dubai Singapore India Dubai India 19/09/2012 16:20 21/11/2011 23/05/201213:03 19:02

Un

We aren’t LETTING success go to our heads, but getting things right for 50+ years has got to be something worth shouting about

Count on us for our lettings expertise and instruct us now…

LONDON | HONG KONG | SINGAPORE | DUBAI | INDIA

London’s Letting Agency | www.brlets.co.uk Beaufort Park 020 8732 7980 FULL PAGE.indd 1

Canary Wharf 020 7517 6088

City 020 7213 9700

Hampstead 020 7435 9681

Highgate 020 8341 2335

Hyde Park 020 7402 9866

Imperial Wharf 020 7348 7620

Kensington 020 7938 3522

Knightsbridge 020 7581 2112 27/09/2012 11:36

Holland Park Office: 020 7727 5111 holland.park@jackson-stops.co.uk

Lettings: 020 7727 5222

Holland Park Avenue W11

jackson-stops.co.uk/London

ÂŁ1,175,000 Leasehold

A wonderfully light and contemporary duplex apartment is presented to the market in this convenient Holland Park location. The apartment is beautifully presented throughout, with high ceilings on the 1st floor and French doors leading onto a decked flat roof. This property would make an ideal pied-a-terre or would suit a young professional looking for a base in central London close to transport links to the city.

Approx 941 sq ft, open plan kitchen/reception room, master bedroom with en suite, study/2nd bedroom, utility room, WC, decked flat roof.

Holland Park Office: 020 7727 5111 holland.park@jackson-stops.co.uk

Fast find AB49505

41 offices covering the UK London: office 17c Curzon Street W1J 5HU

JACKON STOPS-OCT.2.indd 1

24/09/2012 17:43

Ladbroke Terrace W11

ÂŁ1390 per week Unfurnished

A spacious and bright top floor apartment with lovely roof top views and excellent storage throughout.

Situated in this very convenient location just moments away from the amenities and transport links of Notting Hill Gate, the green open spaces of Holland Park are also just a short walk away.

Approx 1750 sq ft, reception room, kitchen/breakfast room, 3 double bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, available to rent immediately.

Holland Park Office: 020 7727 5222 holland.park@jackson-stops.co.uk

JACKON STOPS-OCT.2.indd 2

Fast find AB48338

24/09/2012 17:43

New website Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to refresh your browsers for major changes to douglasandgordon.com with many new features and improved navigation.

ÂŁ1,500,000 Freehold Matheson Road, W14 A substantial and well configured family home, situated in this convenient location. The house offers excellent proportions over four floors, as well as enjoying a good size garden and cellar.

5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms, Kitchen, Dining room, Study, Garden, Cellar.

Kensington Sales 020 7792 1881 kensales@dng.co.uk

DOUGLAS SALES.OCT-2.indd 2

19/09/2012 17:34

Text dng to 84840 for details of properties near you now.

North Chelsea Fulham Hammersmith & Shepherdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bush

Kensington Kensington Gate South Kensington Notting Hill Pimlico & Westminster

South Balham Battersea Battersea Park

Clapham Southside East Putney West Putney Southfields & Earlsfield

www.douglasandgordon.com

ÂŁ1,500,000 Leasehold Palace Gardens Terrace, W8 A superb maisonette situated in this popular and attractive cherry tree lined street. The property has excellent bright accommodation arranged over two floors.

2 double bedrooms, En suite shower room, Bathroom, Reception room, Kitchen, Terrace.

Kensington Sales 020 7792 1881 kensales@dng.co.uk

DOUGLAS SALES.OCT-2.indd 3

19/09/2012 17:34

Three is the magic number If you are looking to buy or sell in South Kensington D&G now have three offices with the opening of our new Harrington Road office.

ÂŁ925,000 Share of Freehold Colville Gardens, W11 A superb first floor period apartment with high ceilings and original sash windows. The apartment enjoys glorious views over the communal gardens.

Double bedroom, Bathroom, Reception room, Kitchen.

Notting Hill Sales 020 7727 7777 nhsales@dng.co.uk

DOUGLAS SALES.OCT-2.indd 4

19/09/2012 17:34

Text dng to 84840 for details of properties near you now.

North Chelsea Fulham Hammersmith & Shepherdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bush

Kensington Kensington Gate South Kensington Notting Hill Pimlico & Westminster

South Balham Battersea Battersea Park

Clapham Southside East Putney West Putney Southfields & Earlsfield

www.douglasandgordon.com

ÂŁ825,000 Share of Freehold Gloucester Terrace W2 A beautiful first floor apartment with magnificent reception room enjoying original high ceilings, bay window and an open plan living, kitchen, dining room.

2 bedrooms, Bathroom, Reception room, Kitchen, Cloakroom, Balcony.

Notting Hill Sales 020 7727 7777 nhsales@dng.co.uk

DOUGLAS SALES.OCT-2.indd 5

19/09/2012 17:35

Building blocks that can house the homeless You can now donate £5 by recycling your old mobile.

Simply collect a freepost envelope from a D&G office.

£995 per week Unfurnished Campden Hill Gardens W8

A fabulous, contemporary style apartment in this period conversion benefitting from high ceilings and wooden floors.

Kensington Lettings Office: 020 7792 1331 kenlets@dng.co.uk

3 double bedrooms, Bathroom, Shower room, Double reception room with dining area, Kitchen, Patio.

£695 per week Furnished Stanley Gardens W11

A superb, smart and stylish flat presented in immaculate condition with direct access to communal gardens.

Notting Hill Lettings Office: 020 7727 8000 nhlets@dng.co.uk

2 double bedrooms, Shower room, Cloakroom, Reception room, Kitchen, Patio, Communal gardens.

DOUGLAS-LETTINGS-OCT.indd 2

19/09/2012 12:59

Text dng to 84840 for details of properties near you now.

North Chelsea Fulham Hammersmith & Shepherd’s Bush

Kensington Kensington Gate South Kensington Notting Hill Pimlico & Westminster

South Balham Battersea Battersea Park

Clapham Southside East Putney West Putney Southfields & Earlsfield

www.douglasandgordon.com

£625 per week Furnished Linden Gardens W2

An extremely spacious garden flat in this period building, presented in good condition and neutrally decorated throughout.

Kensington Lettings Office: 020 7792 1331 kenlets@dng.co.uk

2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), Reception room, Kitchen, Garden.

£495 per week Furnished/ Unfurnished Alexander Street W2

DOUGLAS-LETTINGS-OCT.indd 3

A super first floor flat offering a wonderful reception room with high ceilings leadings onto a large balcony.

Notting Hill Lettings: 020 7727 8000 nhlets@dng.co.uk

Double bedroom, Bathroom, Reception room, Open-plan kitchen, Balcony.

19/09/2012 12:59

Ed Mead Superbike racer and Sales Director Qualified racer Ed will never cut corners but thinks nothing of taking them at great speed on his Ducati superbike. Our people are what make us great and Ed is brave and committed.

douglasandgordon.com Extraordinary people

FULL PAGE.indd 1 & Absolutely (October).indd 1 6501_D&G_Archant

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