that is taking place on Monday 6th March in The Mountbatten Room, The Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London from 12pm - 3.30pm
This FREE event is for American expatriates living in the UK, and will comprise of finance seminars as well as the opportunity to network with the speakers and sponsors as well as fellow Americans.
Key Tax Considerations for Americans in the United Kingdom hosted by Roland Sabates, Expat Legal Services
This seminar will cover tax changes arising from pandemic-related legislation in the United States and outline important tax rules that all Americans should understand when making day-to-day decisions regarding their small business, retirement, and home ownership.
An Update on the Global Investment Landscape and Wealth Management Issues Facing Americans Living in Britain hosted by Jonathan Gold, London & Capital This seminar will include a macroeconomic update.
It will also cover the difficulties Americans in Britain face for managing their global investment portfolios and provide suggestions for how to structure these effectively.
Smart, Tax-Effective Giving For Dual UK & US Taxpayers hosted by Joe Crome, CAF American Donor Fund
Joe will share insight on the best ways to give to charities in the UK, US and around the world, how to maximise the tax relief available to you, making use of the UK’s Gift Aid scheme and flexible solutions to plan your charitable giving over the longer-term.
As spaces are limited you must RSVP to this event, so in order to register your attendance please reply to this invitation or email: helen@theamericanhour.com and put RSVP in the subject, and then please let me know the full names/s of those who would like to attend.
This event is a FREE to attend, and complimentary tea, coffee and pastries will be available.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope you will be able to attend this event, and please do pass this invitation on to your American friends and colleagues who are more than welcome to attend.
Many thanks and best wishes, Helen
SPONSORED BY:We delighted to invite you to American in Britain’s next
33 Coin Street, London, SE1 9NR
Telephone: 0207 928 4554
I was recently due to meet up with a friend of mine for dinner near to Waterloo Station, and whilst trying to agree on somewhere to eat we realised neither of us knew of a good restaurant that we both would like despite both of us having commuted into Waterloo for many years. I am pleased to say that this dilemma will now never arise again after my visit to the wonderfully named Sticky Mango, which has been serving its eclectic interpretations on South East Asian food since 2016.
Chef and owner, Peter Lloyd, along with his partner Rosa D’Imperio, run an impressive operation with the slick service, that is warm and friendly, and the food is exceptional.
We visited early on a Friday night and it was interesting to see to whom the restaurant appealed. Next to us were a mother and her two adult daughters enjoying a family meal out, next to them a couple out for a romantic meal, and in the corner a large table of work colleagues out to wind down from the stresses of the week, and each were perfectly catered for.
The restaurant space meanders its way across 3 floors with the lower ground floor home to a stylish cocktail bar, and all floors are tastefully decorated with leather backed black seats and black tables surrounded by an abundance of orchids and bamboo. Our seats were on the top floor and our table perched under a vibrant pink cherry blossom adorning the ceiling.
As mentioned, the food is a fusion of all the best that Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine has to offer, and boy do these cuisines have lots to offer! The
menu is simple with only a few sectionsa small plate section, a meat, a fish, and a vegetables, rice and noodles one. Simple maybe, but packed with delights. When my wife and I visit any Asian restaurant it is always the starters that catch our eye, as there is so much variety and flavour on offer, and here our problem was more what not to order, but eventually we chose the Chicken and Shrimp Nam Rolls (£9.50), the Malaysian Chicken Curry Puffs (£9.50), the Spicy Thai Pork Ribs (£9.50), and the Black Pepper Prawns (£12.50). The pork on the ribs was tender and lived up to its title, packing a really spicy punch, and the crispy chicken and shrimp rolls were excellent and fun to eat as you wrap them in fresh crunchy gem lettuce and then dip them in nuoc cham dipping sauce which was basically a sweet, salty, fishy, umami flavoured explosion with a kick! Malaysian curries are more delicate than their Indian counterparts and the chicken curry, lovingly encased in a buttery puff pastry, was rich and creamy and perfectly flavoured. South Eastern cooking is all about taking a pot pouri of different tastes and textures and blending them into a harmonious finish, and the mixture of the ingredients of our final starter, the prawns dish, was an inspired example, as it brought together the sweetness of the pineapple, the sourness of the sauce and large slightly sweet succulent prawns.
Our choices for mains were the Miso Glazed Black Cod, pickled daikon and cucumber salad (£26.50), and the Ox Cheek Panang Curry, pineapple, kaffir lime and coconut foam (£20) accompanied by jasmine rice (£3) and wok fried tenderstem broccoli (£6.50). Miso glazed cod is a classic dish and relies on wonderfully fresh ingredients
and the skill of the chef to cook the cod well. Not only were both spot on, the addition of the sharpness of the pickled daikon and cucumber took the dish to a higher level. The ox cheek curry comes in a large ceramic bowl with large pieces of ox cheek nestling in the vibrant penang curry adorned with some coconut foam. Ox cheeks are very flavoursome and have an almost jelly like texture, and were complemented well by the thick, sweet and salty Penang curry.
Having feasted royally we decided to share the signature dessert, the eponymously named Sticky Mango. The dish is served looking like a steamed bun, but once warm coconut cream was poured over it the bun melted to reveal fresh mango and mango sorbet basking on black sticky rice, the ultimate eclectic mix that shouldn’t work, but does.
Sticky Mango is a restaurant which pushes the boundaries of taste combinations, and brings together explosions of sweet, sour, salt and unami together in a way that has delighted diners for many years, and I have a feeling it will continue to do so for many years to come, so when you are in or around Waterloo try it for yourselves, as you won’t be disappointed.
www.stickymango.co.uk
Floor 37-39, 40 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9TP
Telephone: 0203 5300550
For many years I worked in Canary Wharf, from its beginnings before the Jubilee Line was fully working, when, until a few years ago the only way in or out at the weekend was a bus which took an hour to get to Bank, so it was strange, but exciting, to revisit this area to see how many new skyscrapers have sprung up and how it has grown and evolved.
One of these new buildings which has sprung up is the tallest Novotel in the world at over 127 m high, which is where you will find the restaurant and bar, Bokan, which occupies the top 3 floors.
This is not a simple hotel restaurant, it is much, much more, under the watchful eye of their executive chef, Robert Manea, previously of L’Atelier de Joel Robouchon, and who has been with Bokan since its opening in 2017. Robert’s passion is taking the freshest ingredients and creating wonderful dishes, and it is lovely to see him so hands on, showing that passion, on the floor serving, and explaining his own dishes to the diners.
On arriving at the Novotel, which is a short walk from Canary Wharf’s tube station, you are whizzed up to the 38th floor to breathtaking views of London. The 38th floor is where you find Bokan’s awardwinning bar serving locally distilled spirits, inventive cocktails and craft beers, all whilst marvelling at the views.
We arrived after dark and were treated to London by night, with the multiple red lights on the top of the buildings and cranes looking down on the London landmarks below, and I wished we had come for sunset as I can only imagine how spectacular that view would be.
The drinks pay homage to Canary Wharf’s rich history with ingredients sourced from the countries the boats from the docks Canary Wharf is built on, sailed to. On the 39th floor there is also a cosy all-weather rooftop bar and terrace, and it is either tribute to the quality of the views
and drinks, or the hardiness of Londoners, that this rooftop bar was packed when we visited on a cold night in December (or could it have been the powerful heaters they have up there!).
Despite the temptation of this bar, our destination was down a flight of stairs to the restaurant on the 37th floor. The décor is modern and in keeping with its location in the docklands, being industrial in design with tastefully open metal work with bursts of copper blending with varying colours of wood and stylish leather seating. All this, alongside the floor to ceiling windows, provide the best views over London. I have been to a number of rooftop restaurants in my time which feel that their views and décor are the most important things and so lose focus on the quality of food, but I am pleased to say Bokan isn’t one of these as they really do have views to die for, but also serve great food.
The menu offers a 2 or 3 course menu (£49 or £59) where you pick from a selection of 5 choices for each course. Alternatively, you can choose the 7-course tasting experience (£99), which we opted for.
As we watched a plane glide past, starting its descent into City Airport, we started our meal with an amuse bouche, combining the classic combination of sweet and succulent cubes of beetroot with creamy cheese adorned with edible flowers. Our first course was Sweetheart Cabbage, sauerkraut and burnt mayo. Sweetheart cabbage is sweeter and more tender than ordinary cabbage, but actually gets its name as the French word for cabbage is Chou, which is also used as a pet name for a sweetheart. This cabbage swirl provided lovely texture and was covered by a sharp crisp sauerkraut accompanied by a smooth mayo and a slightly sweet vegetable broth which had been reduced down to a glaze with a hint of soy sauce. A pot pourri of flavours in every mouthful.
Our second course of Cod Cheek, ras el hanout and lemon condiment, that combined lightly battered cod cheek with a subtle mixture of Moroccan spices, was made even more special by the sharp lime jelly which was a gem.
Foie Gras is always special, and our third course of foie gras escalope with flambé mandarin and blinis, combined delicate and meaty foie gras with a light blini and a rich and warming jus. That rich foie gras flavour is enhanced by combining it with certain fruits, but for me the half flambéd mandarin accompanying the wonderful foie gras was just too dominating a flavour and slightly detracted from the dish rather than enhancing it. Our fourth dish was John Dory Cauliflower Steak & Pickles, and although John Dory is certainly an odd-looking fish, its taste is far from being that, and cauliflower is just such a tasty and versatile vegetable that the combination was a dream.
Our next course was Venison, Queen Pear and Ginger Spices, and again perfectly demonstrated the skills of the kitchen.
Venison is a lean meat, and so it is easy to overcook it, and if it is even slightly overdone it becomes tough and rubbery, but here at Bokan, once I cut through the slightly crispy outer layer, it revealed a perfectly cooked medallion of venison with that lovely pink interior that was just bursting with flavour.
After a palate cleansing Quince Sorbet, our final course was the wonderfully named Mystic Fig. On arrival this looked like a large fig sitting on crumb accompanied by delicate ice cream, but when you look to cut into the fig you realise why it is mystic. Instead of cutting into fig flesh, the skin is actually chocolate, and when you break though that you find a sweet fig jam and an indulgent chocolate mousse instead. This is the perfect way to finish a wonderful meal, in special surroundings with views to rave about.
Service is attentive without being intrusive and allows the diner to feel cared for without being pressurised, and the wine list will cater for every taste and pocket.
Canary Wharf is now one of the trendiest places to live in London, and it has come a long way from when I first visited it all those years ago, and with restaurants like Bokan it is not hard to see why people want to live here.
www.bokanlondon.co.uk
17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2QH
Telephone: 0203 878 0978
Indian cuisine has come a long way from the old stereotype of a paisley carpet, dodgy lighting and somewhere you only went to after a few pints in the pub. There are now many top quality and Michelin rated Indian restaurants which are demolishing that old stereotype, and one chef who has been at the forefront of this is Atul Kochhar.
Atul was the first chef to be awarded a Michelin star for Indian cuisine and it is under his expert tutelage that Kanishka feeds its diners. What is wonderful here is the menu provides dishes, combinations and ingredients that you would not expect at an Indian restaurant and makes them very ‘Indian’.
Kanishka is in the heart of Mayfair just off Regent’s Street so is easily accessible, and is a breath of fresh air as there isn’t a carpet in sight, let alone a paisley one! The décor here is a mixture of blacks, whites and turquoises along with many mirrors which gives an art deco feel, especially around the bar, and is bold without being stark. But what is exceptional about Kanishka is not the décor it’s the food. One thing you can guarantee from Atul Kochhar is the uniqueness of the dishes and here he has taken the largely unexplored cuisine of the Seven Sisters region of India, along with influences from Nepal, China and Bangladesh and combined them to produce spectacularly tasty dishes.
Dinners have either a number of tasting menus to choose from, with the highlight being the Kanishka Tasting Menu (£110) which consists of 7 courses, showcasing many of the dishes on the à la carte menu, or selecting from the à la carte menu itself which we chose from.
The selection of starters contain many things which you wouldn’t expect in an Indian restaurant, including Scallops (£26) or Iberican Pork Presa (£24) and my wife opted for another, the Soft-Shell Crab, passion fruit, papaya and mango, peanuts and gundruk chutney with baby octopus (£22), and I couldn’t help selecting an Atul favourite, namely the Atul’s Chicken Tikka Pie (£21). Crab is a delicate flavour and here the spices that accompanied it did just that, accompanied it, and were subtle rather than overpowering, and this went well with the sourness of the gundrunk chutney and the sweetness of the papaya and mango. The Atul Chicken Tikka Pie is a diner’s favourite in all of his restaurants and it is not hard to see why. The light puff pastry encases the moist and slightly spicy chicken tikka, that sits upon a slightly sharp mixed berry compote, and the only way to describe it is ’a must order’.
As with the starters, the main dishes are full of unexpected ingredients for an Indian restaurant, including offerings of Venison and Goat, but we went for the Butter Chicken (£32), the King Prawns (£41) and the Biryani (£36) along with a Roti (£5), a Paratha (£5) and Steamed Rice (£5). Butter chicken must have succulent chicken smothered in a rich and creamy sauce and here the tandoor-roasted chicken tikka is surrounded by a wonderfully indulgent sauce which was eagerly soaked up by the fluffy rice. The biryani had been cooked with a pastry lid, as it should, and this enhanced the flavour of the fragrant cumin rice and succulent oven baked lamb. To describe the king prawns as large would be an understatement, they are enormous, and were butterflied and char-cooked to extract the maximum flavour out of them. My paratha was light and flaky, and was the perfect to mop up the rich butter chicken sauce.
The desserts selection is again eclectic and varied, and I selected the Dark Chocolate Sphere (£12) and my wife the Peanut Butter Parfait (£12). The dark chocolate sphere was melted by the hot caramel sauce to expose a smooth orange chocolate cream and walnut crumble. Chocolate and orange are a classic combination and go well with the caramel, although be warned, it is only for those with a sweet tooth. The parfait was incorrectly spelt as it should be pronounced perfect, and is a must for those who love peanuts.
Kanishka has an extensive wine list to accompany the culinary delights all starting at £35, but for whisky lovers they also have over 50 to choose from with many rare single malts available from all over the world.
Kanishaka offers Indian food, but not as we used to know it, as this food is sophisticated and brimming with exciting and extravagant flavour combinations. www.kanishkarestaurant.co.uk
2 St Anne’s Court, London, W1F 0AZ
Telephone: 0203 376 9999
Soho is a mecca for foodies and party goers alike, and is blessed with many restaurants and bars, so any new comer to this party has a lot of to live up to. With this in mind, I was interested to see what newbie Block Soho had to offer these diners, and what I found was very positive.
The restaurant is located a stone’s throw from Tottenham Court Road tube station in an alleyway just off Dean Street, and when we came in from the cold we were greeted by a contemporary metal, wood and tiling décor with airducts snaking their way along the ceiling, that wouldn’t be out of place in New York.
In Soho you usually sit too close to your fellow diners, but at Block Soho the dining room is larger so diners get much more space to enjoy their meals, and this space has been cleverly decorated with booths and large sharing tables, so this extra space is there without the feeling that you are eating in a large hallway. The booth we were shown to had a generous seat which was overlooked by a metal overhead luggage rack which wouldn’t have been out of place in an old UK railway carriage.
At the centre of the restaurant is the open kitchen where whilst you are waiting for your food you can watch the skilful chefs literally ‘slaving over hot coals’ as this is how the meat and fish are cooked. The other distinguishing factor of Block Soho is their unstinting commitment to quality sourcing the ingredients for their dishes. The meat comes from Huntsham Court Farm which has been providing top quality beef, pork and lamb for hundreds of years, and is then matured in Block Soho’s Himalayan salt chamber, and the fish from Newlyn Fish market in Cornwall is freshly caught and delivered daily. It is this provenance of the ingredients on top of the skill of the chefs using the hot coals that takes the food at Block Soho above other steak and seafood restaurants.
Block Soho is not just a restaurant, it is also a bar, and this bar provides all the usual spirits, but its speciality is its bourbon whisky collection. The collection is eye catching, over 320 no less. and the large bar is dominated by bottle after bottle of wonderfully named Bourbons, and Block Soho’s desire is to have the largest collection of bourbon whisky in the world, and from the number of bottles here, I can see it won’t be long before they achieve this. The bar also serves Block Bites
that accompany your drinks, and so in the ‘spirit’ of trying everything my wife selected the Prawn Popcorn with Harissa mayonnaise (£10) and I the Beef Brisket Croquettes with BBQ mustard (£8). The portions are generous, and the hearty prawns are ably supported by the spicy mayonnaise, but the croquettes are the star, with the brisket slow cooked perfectly so the meat is rich and succulent and offset by the sweetness of the BBQ mustard, all wrapped up in large crunchy balls.
Our starters continued our meat and fish divide, with my wife choosing the English Shellfish Cocktail, with prawns and crayfish (£17) and I the Smoked Pulled Pork, sourdough toast, apple gravy (£10). The cocktail was packed with vibrant prawns and crayfish all freshly caught that day with a light and creamy sauce. My pulled pork gave off a wonderful aroma, and the pork’s juices were absorbed by the sourdough, and there are few better combinations than pork and apple.
For mains there is a large selection of choices with meats and seafood aplenty, and there are even meat free choices for vegetarians and vegans, but I was here to taste the steaks and so I selected a large Rib Eye Steak (£46) with a green peppercorn sauce (£3) and skin-on truffle fries (£6), and my wife a half rack of Baby Back Pork Ribs (£16) and Rainbow Truffle Oil Slaw (£16). I am unsure of the size of table, let alone size of plate needed for a full rack of ribs as the half rack was enormous and the meat just fell off the bone and was basted in an indulgently rich and sweet BBQ sauce. The rainbow slaw was vibrant and crunchy, but unfortunately had a little too much truffle oil for me which slightly detracted from the freshness of the raw vegetables. Rib eye is, for me, one of the finest and tenderest cuts of beef, with plenty of marbling which are the deposits of fat that add so much flavour and moisture to the steak. Quality produce demands to be cooked well, and the treatment of my steak was exceptional. The use of the hot coals gave it a slight crisp outer layer, but when cut into, it was moist and succulent. The green pepper sauce was creamy and had just enough pepperiness needed to add to the taste sensations, and the truffle fries with parmesan shavings are a must.
Having gorged ourselves on the first few courses my wife admitted defeat and chose an after-dinner cocktail instead of a dessert, whereas I went for the Dark Chocolate Tart, honeycomb crackling (£9). This tart is a chocoholics dream and is so rich and totally indulgent that it should come with a health warning!
This newcomer to the Soho scene heralds all that is good about British produce. It takes the best Britain has to offer and cooks it in such a way that it allows all their natural flavours to burst through. Let the taste do the talking.
www.blocksoho.com
Porto is Portugal’s second city and is probably best known for giving its name to a popular drink (take the o off!), a fortified wine often enjoyed by many after a meal. It also has the best football team in Portugal, which started the glittering career of Jose Mourinho, well known for managing Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United, to name just a few. But did you know that Porto is one of the oldest European centres, and its centre was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996?
Porto is just being discovered as a city break destination, but its history dates back over the centuries as it is strategically placed at the point where the Duoro river flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and it also has some wonderful beaches, making it an all-round destination for a long weekend or part of a tour around Portugal.
Porto is just over a 2-hour flight from the UK and can be reached from Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh, as well as all the London airports. The airport is modern and is supported by a range of public transport options as well as taxis or Uber to get you the 11km to the town centre, but my recommendation is to use the metro as it is quick, inexpensive, stops just outside the main terminal and takes you into the heart of Porto.
The interesting thing about Porto is that although it is not a large town it has such a diverse range of things to do, and will certainly have something for everyone - from the history lovers, the sun worshipers and the wine drinkers amongst you. You could be forgiven to think that the Duoro river flows through Porto, but it actually flows between two towns, that of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, with Porto having the historical sites and Gaia all of the wine cellars.
The perfect way to experience all that Porto has to offer is to purchase a Porto Card. This is the official sightseeing pass of the tourism office of Porto. Think of it as a souped up travelcard, as it not only offers free and unlimited use of the public transport system (including your journey to and from the airport, so take a tip from me and buy this card online before you arrive or at the airport on arrival), but also free admission to six sights/museums and various % discounts on tours, restaurants and purchases.
Porto is an architectural delight with many examples from renown architects. One of the most striking is Gustave Eiffel’s Dona Maria Bridge built in 1877, which has many of the characteristics of his most famous structure in Paris, with its wrought iron crescent arch towering 200 feet above the Duoro river below, but there are many other offerings from
other notable architects, including Nicholau Nasoni and Rem Koolhaas, to enjoy.
When you look at pictures of Porto many images will be of the Ribeira neighbourhood (usually from the other side of the river from Gaia) which is located on the banks of the Duoro river, and this is a must visit as you can wend your way down the narrow streets marvelling at the colourful facades and quaint terraced houses on the water front, but the walk down and especially back up to the Cathedral that overshadows this district is challenging! Luckily there is a funicular that takes you up and down for the less energetic of you (that included us!). This area is especially worth a visit at night to sample the local cuisine on the banks of the river, usually accompanied by live music.
Having made the trip up from Ribeira your next stop should be Porto’s Cathedral, situated next to the town walls that used to protect the city, and its outside appearance is more akin to a fortress with battlements than a church. The Cathedral has been rebuilt or added to many times over the centuries, which explains the many architectural styles including the Baroque Temple, Romanesque Nave and the Gothic Cloisters. In front of the façade there is a large Baroque Pillory, symbolising justice, standing in the centre of the square where it is said that the city’s criminals were hanged on, but that may just be hearsay!
From the Cathedral your next visit must be to the Sao Bento Rail Station. Yes, a Railway station! But this is not an ordinary station as you realise once you enter. The entrance hall is something you will never forget as you are faced with over 20,000 tin-glazed blue and white tiles depicting scenes from Portugal’s defining historic moments, as well as country scenes, and as it’s a railway station, the history of transport.
Porto is blessed with many wonderful restaurants, but if you want something a bit special and different, I would suggest a restaurant a short 5-minute walk from Trindade Metro station (the station all metro lines pass through) called Tia Tia. The name comes from the owners’ names - TIAgo Feio and CaTIA Roldao, and it is a small restaurant lovingly serving local produce in inventive ways. The entrance is unassuming and is off a small street, and the restaurant is only open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, and for dinner Fridays and Saturdays between 7.30pm and 11pm, and as it is small, it is definitely worth booking.
Portuguese cuisine over the centuries has had a tendency to focus on meat dishes, but at Tia Tia this trend is bucked with the majority of dishes being vegetarian (although there is one fish dish). Vegetarian food is not only sustainable, it is very tasty when cooked well, and at Tia Tia, Tiago takes the fresh and vibrant vegetables and produces dishes of complexity which belie the simple surroundings with tastes that would not be out of place in any top restaurant in the world. As the weather in Porto was still a very pleasant 24 degrees, we decided to eat in the small courtyard garden at the back.
The menu is small, 4 dishes for lunch, and we ordered all of them to share between the two of us. The menu does change depending on the season, but when we were there the dishes were brioche, Hokkaido, kale, pomegranate (EUR 8), the roasted vegetables, coconut “escabeche” (EUR 8),
2 eggs, mushrooms, buckwheat (EUR 8) and horse mackerel, turnip, carrot (EUR 11).
Our first dish was an explosion of colours as on top of the lightly toasted brioche rested a vibrantly orange Hokkaido, fresh green kale and the red of pomegranate. It didn’t just look great, it tasted wonderful too. The star of this dish is the Hokkaido pumpkin, (which is so named as although it is a squash it looks like a pumpkin), as it was perfectly seasoned allowing its delicate chestnut flavour to burst through. The kale and pomegranate added texture as well as colour, along with a little sharpness. The roasted vegetables included pak choi, carrots, turnips and cauliflower sitting in a light and foamy sauce and were equally well cooked. The horse mackerel is sourced from the Atlantic and has been soaked in apple cider before being cooked, so the skin slightly burns when cooked whilst still keeping that distinct mackerel flavour. Squares of this mackerel sit in another delicate and creamy almond sauce interspersed with nuts and sharp pickled sliced turnip and diced carrot. Sustainability is a key concept here, and this also stretches to the wines with all of them being organic, and in that spirit, I selected a glass of not white, not red, not even rose, but orange! Orange wine is made from white wine grapes where the grape skins are not removed, and here the wine comes from those grown on the highest mountain in Portugal, and allegedly this wine is better for you than white wine, so I had to have a second glass to look after my health!
Having dined royally we took the metro over the Duoro river to Gaia to finish our first day’s visit to Porto with a tour of a Port maker.
When you think of port brands, names to conjure with include Wares, Dow, Cockburns and Graham’s, but it may surprise you to know that all of these brands, although producing different tastes, are all owned by the same company. We visited Graham’s port lodge, and please note that if you do decide to walk there, like we did, the road up to the lodge is steep!
Tours take place throughout the day, in a variety of languages, but it is vital you do book a tour before turning up. The tour starts with a film about the origins of the company and its owners, the Symington Family, who still own and work in it today, as well as showing the Duoro river valley where the grapes for the port are grown. From there you visit the ‘caves’, or cellar where the port is stored whilst it matures and improves. The sight of thousands of barrels stacked in rows is aweinspiring, and the size of some of the wooden vats is mind-blowing as they can store 73,000 litres of port each. What also strikes you is the sweet smell of the port everywhere whilst you are educated about the differences between a ruby, a tawny and a vintage port.
Our guide was exceptional, with a clear love for port and a vast knowledge of the Graham’s port lodge.
After passing through the owner’s personal port collection, which includes ports dating back to 1886, we finally got to taste some port ourselves. We settled into the Vintage room with comfortable armchairs looked down on by Winston Churchill, who was a great fan of Graham’s port, and were presented with 3 different ports to try, a Ruby Port and then a 10 and a 20-year-old tawny. Tours and tasting prices vary depending on the ports you would like to try, and having finished we couldn’t help buying a few bottles of their Six Grapes Ruby Port to take home!
After this tour we were exhausted having walked almost 18,000 steps, so gratefully made our way to our hotel M.Ou.Co.
M.Ou.Co is a boutique hotel offering a totally unique and quirky experience to add that extra wow to your Porto trip.
I have visited many hotels in my time across the world, but I have never experienced one like M.Ou.Co. Its concept can be summed up in the three words it has on its website - Stay, Listen, Play.
The hotel has risen from the ashes of an old metal factory, and is an eclectic mix of metal and concrete which plays a key part in the hotels ethos and has won them a few awards. The staff are exceptionally friendly and our check-in was quick and efficient, which was a blessing considering the pain emanating from my legs.
M.Ou.Co is a hotel that unashamedly caters for those who love music (and who doesn’t like music?), whilst also respecting every guest’s need for quiet time. In that spirit, every room has a record player and a selection of albums (yes I am old enough to remember vinyl) for guests to enjoy in their rooms, but at the same time each room is soundproofed so you only have to enjoy your music, not other peoples.
The rooms are nothing like you will have experienced before and are all minimalistic, but all have the same quirkiness with suites with a kitchen and garden, balcony rooms with a hanging chair to relax in, but do listen
carefully to the instructions about how to operate things in the room as we totally failed to work out the lighting! Having finally worked out the lighting system so we didn’t turn every light in the room off every time we touched a switch, we decided to rest our weary bodies by the pool before having dinner.
The sun terrace is a real sun trap and is perfectly placed to pick up the sun for the majority of the day. On this terrace is a small pool which is more for a refreshing dip than one to do lengths in, but what more could you ask for from a city hotel?
M.Ou.Co continues it quirkiness by giving guests a mobile phone when they arrive, which is the electronic version of the old printed booklets you used to see in hotels telling you about everything the hotel has to offer. The difference here is that it also has the usual apps a phone has, and can be used as a guide to Porto as well as giving guests 15 minutes free international calls, so everything is in one handy device which is not only clever, but very useful.
M.Ou.Co is not in the centre of the town, but that really isn’t a problem, as it is a short walk from a Metro station that has regular trains into the centre, so you have the best of both worlds with a little less hustle and bustle of the centre, whilst being close enough to be able to get there quickly.
Prices are from EUR 85 per night.
After a busy day exploring Porto, we decided to eat in the hotel, and were treated to wonderful food washed down with a very reasonable house white wine (well we are in the heart of wine country!) served by helpful and friendly staff.
After a rejuvenating night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, including the famous Portugese Pasteis de Nata, delicious Portuguese custard tarts which we ate maybe one or two more of than we should have!, we were ready to re-engage with what Porto has to offer.
We decided to go to the Douro valley and see for ourselves if the landscape is really as beautiful as it is written it is. I can safely confirm that it is, and as we drifted down the Duoro river on our boat, the peace and tranquillity coupled with a clear blue sky and warming sun was magical. The terraced hillsides with their extensive vines not only produce some of the best wines, they also
look like picture postcards, and it is not hard to see why this has been listed as a World Heritage Site.
We travelled by boat as there is something about being on water that is so relaxing, but you can get to the Valley by road, train or even helicopter, but allow enough time to not only enjoy the wineries and port lodges, but also to drink in the peace and quiet and take a little time off from the stress’ of life.
Porto is not a new city, far from it, but it is starting to become a place you should visit, and my final tip is to take a large suitcase with plenty of room left in it as you just have to bring back a bottle or two of port from where it is only allowed to be produced, as we didn’t, and our luggage was too heavy on the way back for our airline!!
For further information please visit: www.instagram.com/tiatia.porto Hotel website: moucohotel.pt visitporto.travel
As the UK is approaching the three-year anniversary of the first Covid-19 lockdown, many studies exploring the impact of the pandemic have begun to emerge.
In one particularly interesting study(1), data from the Human Fertility Database showed that in January 2021, European birth rates declined by 14.1% and, although followed by a rebound of births in subsequent months, this rebound did not compensate for the initial decline.
Despite this drop in birth rates, a common question we receive from clients pertains to investing for US/UK children in a taxefficient manner.
As the parent of a dual US/UK child myself, I am all too aware of the pitfalls of trying to save for your child in a tax-efficient manner, all while juggling the nursery run!
Fortunately, there are US and UK products both which can be tax-efficient and can allow parents to save for their children’s future.
A child born outside of the United States to a US citizen parent could inherit US citizenship upon birth. The US Department of State website includes a useful overview of circumstances where a child will acquire US citizenship, however, as always, professional advice should be sought as the regulations are nuanced.
As an aside, it is not uncommon to be told by a long-term UK resident, US citizen, that they have yet to ‘decide whether to make their child American’ (I have always found such wording amusing - wondering if this means watching baseball, teaching them to enjoy Cheez Whiz and ensuring they say sidewalk instead of pavement). On a serious note, this is not a decision one can make, as the answer will be objective and based on the appropriate US regulation. If a child meets the criteria, they will be a US citizen.
Should one’s child inherit US citizenship, it is important to report the birth to a US embassy or consulate and apply for a Social Security number. When reporting your child’s birth abroad, a US citizen parent will need to account for all days spent outside of the UK since birth to satisfy a residency requirement! Get out those old passports now.
As a sleep deprived new parent who has just navigated the reams of paperwork for a dual
citizenship baby, the next sensible step is, of course, financial planning!
Although there are favourable investment products for children in the UK (in particular, Junior ISAs, Lifetime ISAs and Junior Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP)), it is important to remember that the main investment principles for Americans abroad remain - beware of Passive Foreign Investment Companies (PFICs) and remember US reporting requirements.
So, whilst a Junior ISA may seem like a great idea, the IRS does not recognise the tax-free nature of an ISA and would seek to tax the underlying investments. Additionally, most collective investments within a Junior ISA are likely to be considered PFICs from a US perspective and taxed punitively.
Thought must also be given to the way in which the UK will treat US investment products. Two common investment products in the US for children are 529 plans and accounts established under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) and the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).
Contribution limits to a 529 plan vary by state, however, the maximum contributions currently allowed are substantial (over $300,000 per beneficiary in many state plans).
Contributions to 529 plans are gifts under the federal gift tax regulations. Therefore, if an individual contributes more than $16,000 per year (2022 limit) (there is also the ability to ‘front load’ five years’ worth of contributions), the contribution will count against the individual’s lifetime gifting allowance for US tax purposes.
Distributions from 529 plans for qualified higher education expenses are exempt from US federal income tax. Qualified education expenses include tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for study at any accredited college, university or vocational school in the United States and many foreign universities. In some circumstances, the money can also be used for room and board.
Should a non-qualifying distribution from a 529 be made, it is subject to federal income tax and an additional 10% early-distribution penalty on the gains earned above the original contributions.
Assets held in a 529 plan are excluded from the donor’s gross estate for estate tax purposes. Additionally, 529 plans are treated as an asset of the account owner as opposed to the beneficiary which could lessen the impact on a student’s eligibility for financial aid.
Lastly, should there be an excess in a beneficiary’s 529 plan, these amounts could be transferred to other members of the beneficiary’s family without incurring any tax penalty.
From a UK perspective, many consider 529 plans to be foreign trusts. Given the complexities surrounding trusts, it is, as always, important to seek tax advice in the first instance. However, if structured correctly, 529s can be dual US/UK tax efficient.
529 plans allow for tax-free growth provided funds are used for education savings. Generally, any US citizen or resident alien is eligible to participate in a 529 and plans are commonly established by parents or grandparents.
Contributions to a 529 plan are made from after-tax dollars that then grow tax-free. In certain cases, state income tax deductions may also apply.
UTMAs and UGMAs also allow individuals to make an irrevocable gift to minors. Funds within an UTMA or UGMA are taxable and can be withdrawn for any purpose, not just education.
There are no contribution limits for deposits into an UTMA or UGMA. However, like 529s, contributions to UTMA and UGMA plans are
gifts under the federal gift tax regulations. Therefore, the donor who is funding the accounts is subject to their own annual gift tax and lifetime estate tax exclusions.
Withdrawals can be made for any expense that benefits the minor and there are no penalties for withdrawal. Unlike 529 plans, the balance of any UTMA or UGMA would count towards any financial aid calculations in the United States.
Once the minor beneficiary reaches majority age (typically 18 or 21, but in some instances, 25), the assets become the legal property of the beneficiary.
UTMAs and UGMAs are taxable on the beneficiary. Every child younger than age 19 (or age 24 should the child also be in fulltime education) is allowed a small amount of unearned income (up to $2,300 in 2022) taxed at a lower rate. Unearned income above $2,300 would be subject to ‘Kiddie Tax’ and would be taxed at the parents’ marginal income tax rate, which currently could be as high as 37%. It should be noted that the $2,300 exemption is per child, not per account.
Like a 529 account, the UK treatment of UTMAs and UGMAs is not straightforward. UTMAs are commonly considered bare trusts for UK purposes, with the legal owner being subject to UK income and capital gains tax. Additionally, it is possible that the UTMAs will need to be registered under HMRC’s Trust Registration Service (TRS). The TRS is HMRC’s way of tracking onshore and offshore trusts.
Unlike 529s or UTMAs/UGMAs, a Junior SIPP is a UK product. While not for education purposes, a Junior SIPP does allow for long-term savings for a child.
Anyone can pay into a Junior SIPP and a parent or legal guardian normally manages the account until the child turns 18.
When funds are added to the SIPP, the government automatically adds 20% in pension tax relief. The maximum contributed each tax year is currently £2,880, with the government adding up to £720 on top.
Like most pensions, money in a Junior SIPP is free from UK income and capital gains tax until distributions are taken.
A Junior SIPP cannot be accessed until the child reaches the minimum UK retirement age (age 57 from 2028, with a further rise likely in the future). Distribution rules are the same as a normal adult SIPP with testing against the lifetime allowance at crystallisation and once the SIPP is crystallised, the owner can take the 25%
tax-free lump sum. Once in drawdown, withdrawals can be taken at any point. Tax and financial advice should be sought prior to pension distributions to ensure the most US/UK efficient drawdown methods.
A Junior SIPP is a qualified UK pension and taxed as such with income tax payable on distributions from the pension.
The position is not as clear cut from a US perspective, and, in some circumstances, a Junior SIPP would be treated as a foreign grantor trust and require the filing of a Form 3520 and possibly Form 3520-A or other US forms.
It is a common refrain, but given the complexities, US/UK tax and investment advice should be sought to better understand the status of a Junior SIPP.
Stephen Johnson Stephen.Johnson@masecopw.com
This document may not be forwarded, copied or distributed without our prior written consent. This document has been prepared by MASECO LLP for information purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax or any other type of advice and should not be construed as such. The information contained herein is subject to copyright with all rights reserved.
As can be seen, when structured correctly, it is possible to save for a US/UK child in a taxefficient manner and the benefits of starting early are profound.
For example, assuming one makes a maximum contribution into a Junior SIPP and growth averages 4% per annum (net of all fees) – by the child’s 18th birthday the pension will be worth around £96,000.
If no further contributions are made and the pension continues to grow at 4%, the pension would be worth over £606,000 by the time the child reaches 65!
1. https://academic.oup.com/humrep/ advancearticle/doi/10.1093/humrep/ deac215/6759684?searchresult=1
The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of MASECO as a whole or any part thereof. All investments involve risk and may lose value. The value of your investment can go down depending upon market conditions and you may not get back the original amount invested. Your capital is always at risk. Information about potential tax benefits is based on our understanding of current tax law and practice and may be subject to change. The levels and bases of, and reliefs from, taxation is subject to change. The tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each person and may be subject to change in the future. MASECO Private Wealth is not a tax specialist. We recommend that anyone considering investing seeks their own tax advice.
MASECO LLP (trading as MASECO Private Wealth and MASECO Institutional) is established as a limited liability partnership under the laws of England and Wales (Companies House No. OC337650) and has its registered office at Burleigh House, 357 Strand, London WC2R 0HS. The individual partners are Mr J E Matthews, Mr J R D Sellon, Mr A Benson, Mr D R B Dorman, Mr H Q A Findlater, Mr T Flonaes, Mr E A Howison, Ms A L Solana and Mr N B Tissot. Telephone calls may be recorded for your protection.
MASECO LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the conduct of investment business in the UK and is registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission as a Registered Investment Advisor.
As can be seen, when structured correctly, it is possible to save for a US/UK child in a tax-efficient manner and the benefits of starting early are profound
The following is designed to provide general tax information for Americans residing in the United Kingdom and does not constitute as legal advice. As with all legal issues, seeking tailored advice from qualified counsel is advisable.
Considering a challenging and overly burdensome tax landscape, American expatriates living in the UK will be pleasantly surprised to find that owning a personal residence remains a relatively tax-efficient investment. Many who own homes in the United Kingdom will be able to effectively shield gains from both US and UK tax by using the tax benefits in place. But the tax laws in both countries are not identical, and the protection provided in the United Kingdom through personal residence relief can be substantially more favourable than the sale of home exclusion benefit provided in the United States.
The result is that some American expatriates who have been able to generate significant gains from the sale of a personal home in the United Kingdom could be facing a US tax bill. Given the tremendous performance of the UK real estate market in recent years, many American expatriates are in fact finding themselves in a position where the tax benefits in place for homeowners in the United States do not offer adequate protection. To complicate matters, the dynamic exchange rate between the US dollar and the Pound sterling over the past decade can also have the potential to materially impact tax attributes and create difficulties with UK mortgages.
For American expatriates who own or are considering purchasing a personal home in the United Kingdom, this article will provide a brief overview of the cross-border tax framework you will encounter and explain how the US tax treatment of foreign currency fluctuations can turn a foreign mortgage into a tax trap.
To illustrate these rules, we’ll consider the following scenario:
Elaine and John are American citizens who moved to London in 2011 and purchased a flat for £500,000, financing it with a mortgage of £300,000. The exchange rate at that time was £1 : $1.65. They paid a stamp duty tax of £10,000 when the home was purchased and made no significant improvements.
In early 2022, having lived in the property for over ten years, they accepted an offer to sell for £1.1 million. The outstanding balance
of their mortgage at that time was £100,000 and the exchange rate was £1 : $1.34.
Elaine and John are both taxed in the United Kingdom as residents and they file a joint federal tax return in the United States. The taxable income reported on their 2021 US tax return before any gain from the home sale was $280,000.
of time the property was a main home will still be eligible for limited relief.
Given that Elaine and John have lived in the London flat for their entire period of ownership, they would qualify for full personal residence relief and would not be subject to capital gains tax in the United Kingdom from the sale.
Personal Residence Relief. Broad relief exists in the United Kingdom protecting homeowners from capital gains tax. To qualify for full relief, the property must have been a main home for the entire period of ownership, not been used for trade or business purposes, and not acquired as an investment. Limitations are also in place for properties larger than 5,000 square meters.
Sale of Home Exclusion. As a general rule, American taxpayers who have owned a residence that has been their main home during at least two of the five years prior to the sale will not be taxed on the first $250,000 of gain produced. This exclusion is doubled to $500,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint tax return, but periods of non-qualifying use that occurred in the five-year testing window prior to the two-year test being satisfied can result in a reduction of the eligible threshold.
The exclusion is available in full to Americans who reside overseas and own foreign property.
For Elaine and John, as they have owned and lived in the London flat for more than the two-year requirement, they would qualify for the full $500,000 exclusion available to married taxpayers filing jointly. However, given that the gain produced from the sale will likely exceed this threshold, tax will still need to be calculated for US tax purposes.
Currency Fluctuations. For US tax purposes, the sale of an asset will always need to be reported in US dollar terms. Therefore, when property is acquired outside of the United States, fluctuations between the dollar and the currency in which the transaction is denominated will be factored into the gain or loss calculations. Accordingly, in scenarios where a currency has fluctuated significantly against the US dollar during the period of ownership, a material impact on the gain or loss calculated from the sale of the property will result.
Under personal residence relief provisions, there is generally no limit on the amount of gain that can be protected from capital gains tax. And when periods of nonpersonal use have occurred subsequently, the portion of the gain allocable to the period
To figure the gain or loss from the transaction, the purchase price is converted to US dollars using the exchange rate in effect on the date the property was purchased. The sale’s proceeds are then converted using the rate in effect on the date of sale. Any capital improvements to the property would be added to the cost and converted to US dollars using the effective rate on the date the expenses were paid.
To qualify for full relief, the property must have been a main home for the entire period of ownership, not been used for trade or business purposes, and not acquired as an investment
For Elaine and John, with the exchange rate of £1 : $1.65 in 2011, cost basis for calculating gain from sale would be $841,500 ($825,000 for purchase price plus $16,500 for stamp duty).
Gross proceeds from the transaction of $1,485,000 will result by applying an exchange rate at the time of sale of £1 : $1.35 against the £1.1 million received.
The result will be $643,500 in gain for US tax purposes. From this amount, $500,000 will be eligible for exclusion, leaving $143,500 of taxable gain. While a gain is still produced, the amount calculated does take into account a foreign currency loss attributable to the depreciation of the Pound against the dollar during this time.
Capital Gains Tax. Any gain produced beyond the $500,000 threshold will be taxed at long-term capital gains rates of either 0%, 15%, or 20%. UK capital gains tax paid on the sale of the property can be credited against US tax.
John and Elaine would qualify for a 15% long-term capital gains rate, resulting in a projected US tax liability of $21,525. As no tax is due from the transaction in the United Kingdom, there will not be a foreign tax credit available to reduce this amount.
Net Investment Income Tax. Additionally, the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) will also be applicable to the taxable portion of the gain from the sale to the extent it exceeds the $200,000 ($250,000 for jointly filing taxpayers) threshold.
With Elaine and John having taxable income at $280,000 before accounting for gain from the sale, it is assumed that the entire portion of the taxable gain of $143,500 will be subject to NIIT, resulting in an additional tax of $6,289.
Elaine and John’s total US tax projected from the sale of the London flat in 2021 would be $26,978 ($21,525 in capital gains tax and $5,483 of NIIT).
While the US tax liability on gain from the sale of the UK home could very well come as a surprise, the foreign currency gain that could be produced by redemption of the mortgage encumbering the property will always be a bitter pill to swallow.
Owning the home itself may be relatively straightforward from a US tax standpoint, but foreign currency denominated mortgages can complicate matters.
Mortgage Interest Deduction. Mortgage interest paid on a loan for a main home in the United Kingdom is deductible for US tax purposes pursuant to normal guidelines. However, to claim the deduction for mortgage interest, a taxpayer must elect to itemise deductions, which is less common following the increase to the standard deduction in 2018.
Unfortunately, in most scenarios the positive impact from deducting UK mortgage interest will be nominal, though the deduction can be beneficial for American expatriates who still receive considerable US-sourced income or have significant itemised deductions. And mortgage interest deductions could also be beneficial if there were to be a plan in place to leverage foreign tax credit carryovers in future years on the US side.
No tax relief is available in the UK for mortgage interest paid on a main home.
Impact of Foreign Currency. The primary concern for American taxpayers with respect to UK mortgages relates again to the way the US tax rules view foreign currencydenominated transactions.
Two important considerations must be kept in mind:
1. Foreign currency gains are taxable, with the exception of “personal” transactions where the net gain is less than $200. This would generally cover gain attributable to any monthly mortgage payment, but is unlikely to protect a redemption of the remaining principal balance when the property is sold.
2. Personal losses cannot be claimed. What this means is that even though currency gain over $200 from the redemption of mortgage on a personal home would be taxable, if the same transaction were to produce a loss, it would not offset the gain from the sale.
The unfortunate result of this rule is that in many scenarios where a disallowed loss would be produced from the redemption of a personal mortgage, the gain calculated on the same property will encompass foreign currency gain that would be taxable if in excess of the sale of home exclusion threshold. And when a taxable currency gain is produced by the redemption of the mortgage, it will be taxed at ordinary income tax rates, not the reduced capital gains rates applied to gain from the sale of the property.
For American Expatriates who currently hold UK mortgages that have been taken out for personal homes during the past decade, there is likely a risk of phantom income being produced upon redemption of the note due to how the currencies have performed in recent years. The phantom income is created by the fact that it now requires fewer dollars to pay off the mortgage than it would have when the loans were taken out initially.
For Elaine and John, while the $200 limit would likely have protected them from tax exposure for monthly payments made prior to the redemption, currency gain will be produced when the remaining £100,000 mortgage balance is paid off with the sales proceeds.
Considering the exchange rates in effect when the loan was taken and subsequently paid off, a currency gain of $30,000 is produced ($165,000 initially received and $135,000 needed to repay the balance in full). They will face an estimated $7,200 in tax from the foreign currency gains
from the mortgage redemption assuming they are in the 24% tax bracket in 2021.
In total, for a property that more than doubled in value, Elaine and John can expect to pay no income tax in the United Kingdom but will owe an estimated $34,178 in total tax in the United States.
Undoubtedly, options will be available to American expatriates to help manage the potential tax risk associated with foreign currency mortgages and working with a lender who will understand this risk is crucial. Moreover, given the differences in tax rules, planning opportunities available to married individuals for owning or financing a personal home in the UK when only one spouse is American should not be overlooked.
The challenges identified in this article are largely unavoidable in many cases. Planning against the prospect of your personal home doubling in value can be challenging. Moreover, acquiring a home without mortgage financing is not financially realistic for the vast majority of American expatriates. Simply being knowledgeable of the differences in the rules impacting American expat homeowners in the UK and accounting for a potential US tax liability will be the most prudent course of action.
Roland A. Sabates, Expat Legal Services Group
Expat Legal Services Group offers unique legal services for American expatriates and foreign nationals with financial interests in the United States. Our firm serves the expat community in the areas of international tax, immigration law, and cross-border business and estate planning leveraging a suite of modern technology solutions. Contact Expat Legal Services Group today at info@expatlegal.com or visit the website at www.expatlegal.com.
The choice of an attorney is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertising.
on Monday 6th March
at The Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London
To register for this seminar, please email: helen@theamericanhour.com
We look forward to seeing you there!
This tranquil West London district flies quietly under the radar – often overlooked in favour of the louder and busier spots beloved by visitors to the capital. But don’t let that fool you; Maida Vale has much to offer. Here, we share everything you’ll need to know about the area – and the bits you won’t want to miss.
Maida Vale is a district within the northern part of Paddington, in the London Borough of Westminster. West of St John’s Wood and to the north-east of Notting Hill, it’s an affluent residential neighbourhood wellconnected to the rest of the city.
The area as we know it began to take shape around the early 19th century when an 1816 Act of Parliament allowed the Bishop of London to begin developing the area - and in 1868, Maida Vale was officially given its name.
Maida Vale has since enjoyed an interesting social history, becoming a significant Jewish community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the birthplace of esteemed figures such as Alan Turing and Sir Alec Guinness - and former home to Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion.
There’s a lot on offer here. Perhaps bestloved is Little Venice, an area within Maida Vale known for its beautiful waterways, charming Regency-era architecture and great waterside dining spots. Believed to have been named by either Lord Byron or Robert Browning, this scenic environment feels a world away from city life and provides the perfect place in which to unwind, relax and enjoy a weekend stroll.
Other nearby hotspots include Abbey Road Studios (where you’ll find the famous Beatles crossing), Lord’s Cricket Ground, and the peaceful Regent’s Park, home to ZSL London Zoo. On the Marylebone side of the park, attractions include the Sherlock Holmes Museum and Madame Tussauds.
Local favourites include The Waterway, a cosy waterside restaurant serving excellent Sunday lunches, The Summerhouse, a laidback eatery boasting signature seafood dishes, French establishment Les Petits Gourmets, and The Elgin for its mouthwatering brunch menu. For award-winning pizza, Quartieri is the place to go.
Yes – Maida Vale is close to an array of highly-rated schools such as Maida Vale School, Abercorn, Arnold House, Francis Holland Regent’s Park, The American School in London and the International Community School (ICS).
The area benefits from particularly attractive architecture, with many of the residential buildings dating to the Victorian age. As a result, the majority of homes on offer are classic, white stucco-fronted townhouses, period conversions or stylish mansion apartments, many with the added benefit of communal garden access. Maida Vale’s most sought-after streets include Clarendon Gardens, Elgin Avenue, Blomfield Road and Maida Avenue.
Maida Vale enjoys great transport links. It’s connected to the Bakerloo Line – via Maida Vale and Warwick Avenue Tube stations –which can transport you to Paddington in
4 minutes, Oxford Circus in 11 minutes and Waterloo in around 20 minutes. Here, the city is truly at your fingertips.
We understand that moving home is a stressful and time-consuming process at the best of times, without the added challenge of that move being to a new country. Our
relocation team are on hand to help you with this new chapter, offering a bespoke service with no cost or obligations and full access to London’s property market, to ensure your experience is as smooth as possible.
Sacha Hawkins, Associate, Associate in our Relocation team, says: ‘’Inspired by my parents’ love of property, I started out my real estate career in Cambridge, first working as an estate agent.
I jumped at the opportunity to move into the world of corporate relocation and now have over eight years’ experience working in the dynamic and global London market. A vital part of what I do is to listen to my clients’ individual needs, so that when they are matched to their perfect property, they have the best start to their new journey in London.
For any of your property needs or advice, please get in touch. I’d love to help you’’.
Email: Sacha.hawkins@knightfrank.com
Telephone: 0208 022 7468
Visit: www.knightfrank.co.uk
If you’re planning a holiday in the mountains this winter, preparing your body is key to enjoying it, improving your overall fitness, and minimising your risk of getting injured.
A lot of muscle groups that aren’t usually developed during our everyday lives are involved in activities such as skiing and snowboarding. An average ski day may involve around six or seven hours of sustained physical activity, and whilst it’s possible to rest on the lifts, the high altitude slows your rate of recovery. For those of us that ski once a year, it’s no surprise that a mountain holiday can be very intense and physically draining!
We spoke to Tiziana Lunardi, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist at St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, who shared her top tips for getting the most out of a winter sports holiday.
Before hitting the slopes, make sure you’re in good physical shape. Depending on your baseline, a 6 to 12 week programme aimed at improving your endurance, strength and flexibility, is a good idea.
To get you started, here are some useful strength-building exercises, which you can practice as a circuit in the comfort of your own home.
• Squats - these are great for building strength in your quads and glutes
• Lunges - great for strengthening hips and thighs, as well as improving balance
• Side planks and leg lifts - these target the obliques, which are vital for antirotation and help protect the back and spine in more dynamic movements
• Calf raises - to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, or even just walking in heavy boots through deep snow, you need to ensure you have good stability and leg strength. Three sets of thirty calf raises on each leg is a good level to aim for.
In order to improve your fitness level, you should be doing an aerobic session that lasts between 20 minutes to an hour, two to three times a week. Aerobic exercise raises your heart rate, and to get the most benefit you should work at 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. If you don’t have a fancy watch, work at a level where you feel you can just about talk.
Most skiers take on cycling as an effective way to train their fitness. Cycling works your thigh muscles a lot, so that doubles the benefit!
You may also want to consider running, though for some, the high impact may be too hard on the knees. Another option is to take up swimming, which can hugely improve your stamina without the impact stress on your body.
Did you know you’re eight times more likely to injure yourself if you borrow your equipment? This is related to common mistakes, such as the equipment not matching your level of ability, not working properly, or not being correctly set up.
Your equipment and clothing are one of the most important things to get right. Make sure your gear fits properly and is right for your skill level and where you intend to ski.
To reduce the risk of injury, ski bindings are designed to release your boot in the event of a crash. The DIN setting is the indication of how easily the boot will release from the binding. The higher the DIN setting, the greater the amount of force needed for the skis to release from the feet.
If you catch an edge with your skis and your bindings don’t release, the force can cause your knees to twist, causing damage to your bones and ligaments.
Therefore, it’s incredibly important to make sure the DIN settings are set low enough on the bindings that the skis come off when you crash. If they’re too high and don’t pop off, the risk of severe knee injuries is very high.
If you’re hiring your kit, only use shops that correctly measure you for boots, skis and poles. If you have your own, make sure it’s in excellent condition – it should be relatively new, regularly serviced and set up correctly.
Make sure you also invest in the right clothes. The last thing you need is to get cold and wet when you’re up in the mountains. Wear layers of clothing designed to be water and windproof, and don’t forget to invest in some goggles, ski gloves and liners, a neck warmer and warm socks. Most importantly, don’t forget your helmet – it could save your life.
Skiing within your ability and comfort level is important, especially if you’re new to the sport. Only attempt runs you know you can handle, and be sure to practice before moving to more challenging slopes. Observe signs and warnings, stick to safe areas and don’t ski alone.
Skiing injuries are more likely if you’re tired or dehydrated. So make sure to get enough rest and drink plenty of fluidsavoid alcohol, which dehydrates you and impairs your judgement.
Situations in the mountain environment can change in a heartbeat - from deteriorating weather, to changing snow conditions or even drunk skiers. These factors are outside your control, but if you stay aware of your surroundings, you can prevent most accidents.
If you recently had surgery, consider if you feel fit enough to go on a ski trip this year. If you’ve had keyhole surgery on your knee, it can take six weeks to get back to normal function. However, it’ll be much longer before your knee is strong enough to ski on!
If you have a niggling pain, get it looked at now. Don’t wait until the last minute! Most of the time, some simple advice from a physiotherapist and a tailored exercise plan can make a world of difference.
No one wants their ski trip cut short by an injury, but following this advice can help you enjoy a fantastic holiday on the slopes. By being careful and prepared, you can make sure your skiing holiday is memorable for all the right reasons.
If you’d like some pre-ski advice, or if you’ve been injured on holiday, we can help. Most skiing injuries affect the knees and hips, and many can be treated conservatively with physiotherapy and pain management. However, the first step is to get a confirmed diagnosis. Call the physiotherapy clinic on: 020 7806 4010
Or book online: hje.org.uk/physiotherapy-clinic
They can help you then and there or refer you to the best specialist for your needs.
Founded in 1865, St John & St Elizabeth Hospital is one of the UK’s largest independent charitable hospitals. All treatments in the hospital help fund the onsite St John’s Hospice, which provides free care to over 4,500 people and their families each year, across seven boroughs.
St John & St Elizabeth Hospital
60 Grove End Road, London, NW8 9NH
Did you know that most
happen after 3pm?
Strike strike strike!! The drivers are on strike - and now the newspaper boys are also about to go on strike.
No, this is not ripped from todays’ headlines, though it could be (train drivers, nurses and postmen are today’s reality), it’s the plot of the fantastic show ‘Newsies’
‘Newsies’ (a 1992 movie musical turned into a 2012 Broadway show) makes a triumphant London debut in a theatre that’s perfect - a large dark, auditorium space with high ceilings and catwalks, and in a structure that resembles a printing press. The theatre is the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. Don’t let the location put you off, it’s well worth the journey for a show that has everything going for it.
‘Newsies’ is set in the late 1890’s and is about the boys (young men) who sell newspapers on the streets of New York City, all trying to eke out a living. But, when the powerful New York
World publisher Joseph Pulitzer (Cameron Blakely) raises the price of the issues he sells to the newsies, they retaliate and go on strike and refuse to sell the newspapers, and then decide to form a union, with juvenile detention escapee Jack (Michaelahomka - Lindsey) elected as their leader.
But trouble lies ahead. The newspaper owners aren’t happy about a union being formed, and bullies are sent to rough up the newsies, with threats and physical violence, but all they want is to be treated fairly, and honestly. Further complications arise when Jack falls in love with Pulitzer’s daughter Katherine Plumber (Bronte Barbe), who is an aspiring journalist and who writes about the strikes for another newspaper under a different name, with a bias towards the newsies.
‘Newsies’ is a wildly big and fantastic show, and it’s a testament to director and
choreographer Matt Cole, that almost every dance number received a standing ovation on opening night. The boys (actors) all work very hard and are in tune and rhythm with each other for every dance number (there are about 20 newsies on stage at various times). And the cutest Newsie award goes to the character of Les, a character at the age of 10, and played by various actors (Nesim Adnan on opening night). And female newsies join in too! And while not one member of the acting troupe really stands out, it’s all of them in unison that make this show a true winner. Kudos to Disney who own the rights to the show, and for taking a chance on the Troubadour to showcase it. ‘Newsies’ is a must, and there is plenty of time to catch it, as it plays until April 2023. Catch it before the rest of the world goes on strike!
www.newsiesthemusical.co.uk
Death Drop is back, and yes, so are the girls.
Earlier this year some of the drag queens from Rupaul’s Drag Race had audiences rolling in the aisles with laughter in the hilarious ‘Death Drop’, and now they have reincarnated themselves into a new show called ‘Death Drop Back in the Habit’ now touring the UK.
‘Death Drop’ had audiences transported to 1991 where guests were killed off one by one at a dinner party. In this new show, the nuns at St. Babs, who are confined to their convent, are also being killed off one by one - there is a serial killer in their midst. However, an unexpected visitor from the Vatican arrives who is there to ‘help them’ but the nuns really don’t know who he is. What is he there for, and who has sent him? It’s a mystery not only to Mother Superior (Victoria Scone), but also to sisters Mary Berry (Cheryl Hole) Maria Julie Andrews (River Medway) and Sis Titus (William). And it is a mystery how the first sister (we’re not saying which one) gets killed first. But luckily, with a lot of humour (some of it toilet), schtick, crassness and sarcasm (along with some fabulous nun outfits), we get to enjoy, and laugh, as the mystery unfolds itself, in the hopes that the nuns lives will get back to normal and they will get back in the habit.
Bravo to the production team for bringing us another Death Drop in the same year ( yes we’re fortunate to have two in one year)! And thanks to Rupaul for keep on providing us with a non-stop array of talented drag queens from the show. Bring on Death Drop 3!
UK 2023 Dates Are: 3-7 January, Blackpool, Grand Theatre 10-14 January, Sheffield, Lyceum
17-21 January, Curve, Leicester 23-28 January, Aberdeen, His Majesty’s 31st January - 4th February, Gaiety Theatre, Dublin 7-11 February, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool 14-19 February, Theatre Royal, Nottingham 23-25 February, Glasgow, King’s Theatre 9-12 March, Manchester, Opera House 13-18 March, Birmingham, The Alexandra www.deathdropplay.com
Judith Schrut takes us on a brief, but spectacular preview of 2023’s cultural activities and other treats.
The glow, glitz and guzzle of the festive season are behind us and Spring’s tell-tale snowdrops, blue skies and daffodils aren’t quite ready to put in an appearance. Are you wondering what to do with these wintry waiting weeks? Good news! Britain’s got loads of toasty treats on offer this time of year. Read on to discover some great ways to cheat that chill and warm those cockles.
For a simple, pleasurable and often free way to come in from the cold, it’s hard to beat a visit to one of Britain’s huge range of museums and art galleries. With over 2,500 to choose from, there’s one for every age, interest or attention span in your household. And if statistics are anything to go by, this is one of the nation’s favourite pastimes, with an astonishing 50.2% of UK adults visiting a museum or gallery at least once a year (2019 gov.uk figures).
At the National Gallery you can de-chill in the warm glow of some of Europe’s finest paintings. Included with free entry are must-see treasures by Van Gogh, Monet, Turner, Leonardo DaVinci, Canaletto and dozens more. Upcoming special shows (ticketed, members free) include After Impressionism: Inventing Modern Art and the Ugly Duchess: Beauty and Satire in the Renaissance. There are gorgeous gift shops for tasteful browsing and a choice of cafés and restaurants for that essential tea and
cake break. Highly recommended are the Gallery’s Friday Lates, with free workshops, tours, music and bars.
The British Museum was the world’s first national public museum when it opened in 1759. Today, it’s home to one of the largest and most comprehensive collections on earth - over eight million works covering two million years of human history and culture from across the globe. Admission is free; tours, talks and object trails abound. try the Museum’s whirlwind self-guided tour, an eyepopping stroll taking in the Rosetta Stone, Lewis Chessmen, Samurai armour, two-headed Aztec Serpent, Egyptian mummies, Parthenon marbles and other worldly wonders.
The Tate siblings - Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ivesare packed with temptations for art lovers, with unparalleled collections of old and new masterpieces set in superb spaces. From Matisse to Magritte, Picasso to Picabia and Dali to Damien Hirst, Tate Modern offers an ever-changing feast of visual treats, outstanding special exhibitions and some of the best riverside views in London. Tate Britain’s focus is British art, including the world’s largest collection of Turners, plenty of Hogarths, Hockneys, Henry Moores and Blakes (both William and Peter) and innovative shows such as Hew Locke’s Procession, the Rosettis, and Women in Revolt. Tate St Ives, majestically perched on the sands of Cornwall’s loveliest coastal town, gives us Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life. While you’re visiting St Ives, be sure to stop by the magical, semi-hidden Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden,
a lesser known member of the Tate family. It’s in the house where Hepworth lived, worked, raised triplets and tragically died when her art studio caught fire in 1975.
Everyone loves these big hitters, but don’t overlook the hundreds of small but artfullyformed museum and gallery gems off the beaten track. The Wallace Collection is one such gem, set in a stunning 18th century London house and filled with exceptional paintings, arms, armour and priceless antiques, not forgetting the enchanting courtyard café. Animal lovers won’t want to miss its highly anticipated show devoted to our four-footed friends, Faithful and Fearless: Portraits of Dogs from Gainsborough to Hockney.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens, fresh from triumph as 2022 Art Fund Museum of the Year , celebrates cultures and community with amazing and lovingly displayed objects from around the world, plus wonderful gardens, aquarium, micro-forest, butterfly house, Sunday market and family activities galore. Also worth a voyage out are Bath’s warm and welcoming Holburne Museum and Norwich’s Sainsbury’s Gallery, soon to host Empowering Art, a groundbreaking exhibition of indigenous art from the American Northwest. Book lovers will enjoy a pilgrimage to the Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire, Jane Austen’s House , Hampshire or Charles Dickens Museum, London. Further information: nationalgallery.org.uk british museum.org tate.org.uk wallacecollection.org
It’s been a rough, tough couple of years for UK Theatreland, forced by the pandemic to go dark for the longest period since Oliver Cromwell’s Puritan Parliament shut down all theatres in the 17th century. Which makes it all the more fabulous to see stages across the country open again and back to their best. The coming months promise an invigorating blend of new treats, classic revivals and golden oldies to snuggle up to.
Topping West End newbies this year is the Great British Bake Off Musical Bake Off has been wildly popular UK telly for more than 13 years. But did you know that The Great British Baking Show, (as it’s called in the States), is a firm favourite on American TV too? Much of US viewers’ fun comes from discovering just what those Brit bakers mean by puddings, soggy bottoms, hot baps and so on. The New York Times has even run a translation guide. “Stodgy is bad, scrummy is good, gutted is bad,” it goes.
There’s also the world premiere of hiphop musical, Sylvia , with the soulful Beverley Knight and a vibrant cast shining a light on Sylvia Pankhurst and the British Suffragette movement.
From Broadway comes the London premiere of Allegiance , starring George Takei (Star Trek’s Mr Sulu) and based on his own childhood experience. Born and brought up in Los Angeles, five-year-old Takei and his family, along with over 125,000 other Japanese-Americans, were forcibly removed from their homes, declared ‘enemy aliens’ and incarcerated in harsh US internment camps during World War II.
Classic American musicals are perennial West End hits. For a different and remarkable version of an all-time fave, try Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, re-imagined for the 21st century but keeping those cherished tunes like “People Will Say We’re in Love”, “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning”, and the eponymous opener, “Oklahoma”. In March, Bridge Theatre presents a bold and original take on Broadway and movie classic Guys and Dolls , starring Daniel Mays ( Line of Duty, 1917), with Nick Hytner (History Boys, One Man, Two Guv’nors ) producing and Arlene Phillips choreographing.
South of the river, the National Theatre stages Othello, Shakespeare’s racially-charged tragedy of jealousy and revenge, and Romeo and Julie, a modern take on Shakespeare’s immortal love story. You can catch other NT-originated productions like the Lehman Trilogy in the West End or on tour. It’s great knowing that friends and family back home can also enjoy NT’s brilliant shows, as National Theatre Live broadcasts in dozens of movie theatres and other venues across the USA.
London’s many off-West End venues offer a pleasure and quality match for a fraction of the price. The Young Vic, well known for being both innovative and unafraid of controversy, brings us Mandela, a world premiere musical about the late Nelson Mandela, presented ‘in proud partnership’ with his family.
Historic, beautiful and easy on the wallet, you’re guaranteed a good seat and a magical evening at Wilton’s Music Hall. Wilton’s is the world’s only surviving Grand Music Hall, with a previous life as ale house, concert room and Methodist mission. Nowadays, it’s a beautifully restored space offering an imaginative programme of live performance and other events.
Wilton’s upcoming season of delights includes Gilbert and Sullivan’s surrealcomedy-meets-spooky-chiller, Ruddigore (or the Witch’s Curse), Carradine’s Cockney Singalong and the Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel , the hilarious, deeply moving story of two unknown young Brits who, together and apart, changed the world of comedy forever. There’s a unique Evening with Sylvia Plath, starring
the sensational Denise Gough (Angels in America ) plus Edinburgh Fringe awardwinner, Paris from Piaf to Pop, a celebration of timeless French song.
Last, but not least, you can see some of Britain’s best shows at or touring its numerous regional stages. Among this year’s top temptations are Bugsy Malone, at Alexandra Palace and touring, and 42nd Street, opening at Leicester’s Curve Theatre, then touring. If you love British satire, don’t miss Birmingham Rep’s revived and alive stage version of an 80s TV-puppet classic. Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World presents a ‘monstrous’ cast of stars including Adele, Tom Cruise and Michael Gove (“together on stage for the very first time”), Harry and Meghan and Boris Johnson. But beware the show’s audience warning: Contains jokes, some of which are really naughty Further information: bakeoffthemusical.com wiltons.org.uk nationaltheatre.org &ntlive.com birmingham-rep.co.uk
Outdoor light displays have become increasingly popular in recent years, but this winter they seem more abundant, imaginative and - a surprising bonus in these eco-conscious times - energy efficient and less costly than ever. Many of these finish with the winter holiday season, while others take the long view, shining their lights well into the new year.
January brings Winter Woodland Lights to Hampshire’s Hawk Conservancy You can enjoy woodland illuminations and live owl displays while supporting the Conservancy’s landmark work, protecting and caring for more than 130 owls, eagles and other endangered raptors. If you can’t make it to the light show, there’s plenty of time in the coming year to experience fabulous flying displays, owl evenings and daily ‘Good Morning’ sessions with vultures.
Southbank’s free Winter Lights exhibition will keep London Thameside aglow through January, with playful and thought-provoking light works designed by light artists from across the globe. Feast your eyes on STELA (Super Terrestrial Electric Light Aurora), bringing phenomenal Arctic skies to the riverside. Loomin’ is a fluorescent tree canopy, brilliantly guiding you along the riverside, while Sixty Minute Spectrum turns nearby buildings into a giant illuminated clock.
The magnificent Waddesdon Manor , Buckinghamshire, will be lighting up its Pleasure Gardens every weekend evening to the end of January. Follow the light trail and be dazzled by colourful tree canopies, interactive displays and a tunnel of twinkling stars. When the sun goes down, the Manor’s elegant façade will be illumined by lights dancing to sequenced music.
Leicestershire’s Belvoir Castle stages its breathtaking Spectacle of Light and Sound in January-February throughout Castle gardens and woodlands. During February, Compton Verney, Warwickshire’s Spectacle of Light shines a beautiful luminous trail through the estate’s woodland, while Haughley Estate, Suffolk, features a magical Alice in Wonderland-themed Spectacle Epping Ongar’s Light Fantastic has a truly original way to light up the dark winter nights. Its trains travel through woodland tracks and rural stations, blazing with hundreds of coloured lights and lineside displays, accompanied by a rousing light and music show. Meanwhile, it’s (pun intended) putt-luck at Bath’s Glow Golf, the UK’s first illuminated minigolf course, complete with fairy lights and glow-in-the dark golf balls.
Accessible, environmentally friendly and gloriously free to view - and not just for Christmas, but for every day - London’s Illuminated River is the longest public art project in the world. It lights up 3.2 miles and nine bridges along the Thames with mesmerising sequences of shifting colour and subtly-changing LEDs. Each bridge’s lights celebrates its unique history and architecture. Cannon Street Bridge’s kinetic colour bounces and reflects moving trains passing above, while the green tints on Westminster Bridge mirror the interior of the adjacent House of Commons. Visit the Project’s website to learn about the fascinating history of each bridge and inspirations for each illumination. Further information: waddesdon.org.uk hawk-conservancy.org illuminatedriver.london
2023 marks 300 years since the death of Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723), mathematician, astronomer, physicist, anatomist and one of the UK’s greatest architects. In his astonishing 91-year lifetime, Wren designed churches, palaces, hospitals and many famous buildings around the UK.
As a rising young star in his mid-30s, Wren was given the awesome task of rebuilding 51 London City churches destroyed by the Great Fire in 1666. These included what would become his masterpiece, St Paul’s Cathedral . Here Wren was later buried, under a headstone which reads: “If you seek his memorial, look about you”. Throughout 2023, Wren’s surviving churches will honour the great man’s legacy with concerts, tours and many special events, including a ‘Wrenathon’ of choirs across the City of London and a concert at Trinity College Oxford in its atmospheric Wren Chapel, with music composed during Wren’s later years.
St James Church Piccadilly is another Wren gem, a pearl in the glittering string of historic and welcoming UK churches and other venues providing outstanding free concerts throughout the year as well as cosy refuge on a winter’s day. St James’ is famed for exquisite wood and marble carvings by the masterful Grinling Gibbons, as well as celebrity past parishioners like poet-painter
William Blake and author-abolitionist
Ottabah Cugoano. With its large, light and airy space and acoustics perfect for both preaching and music, St James has long been a quality concert venue, with lunchtime recitals three times weekly and other yearround music events including sparkling jazz evenings and monthly gospel music fests.
Other Wren churches with regular music events include piano Mondays at St Lawrence Jewry and recital Tuesdays and Fridays at St Brides Fleet Street. You’ll find lunchtime concerts on Tuesdays and Thursdays at St-Mary-Le-Bow, renowned for its bells, magnificent steeple, gourmet café in the crypt and American colonial connections.
Wednesdays and Thursdays are music days at St Olave’s Hart Street. St Olave’s is one of the few medieval City churches to escape the Great Fire, although sadly its interior only partially survived Nazi bombings of World War II. Among its most notable parishioners were 17th century diarist Samuel Pepys and his wife, who lived nearby and are buried in the church’s nave. After some delightful lunchtime music, take time to explore this fascinating, historyfilled space. St Olave’s has many American connections, including a monument to Messrs Davison and Newman, leading 18th century grocers whose tea played a part in the American Revolution. They regularly shipped crates of tea to Boston; these crates were infamously dumped into harbour waters during the Boston Tea Party of 1774.
Southwark, St Paul’s and Westminster Cathedrals hold organ, choral and other free musical events in their noble spaces. Further afield, St Albans Abbey has a rich tradition and splendid setting for all kinds of music. There’s top notch choral music and an early music festival at Keble College, Oxford, while Kings College, Cambridge hosts free Sunday afternoon organ recitals in its wondrous Gothic Chapel, where you can warm your soul and bathe your spirit in the vibrant tones of its famous and ancient pipe organ.
Further information: squaremilechurches.co.uk/wren-300/ wrenathon sjp.org.uk saintolave.com kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/hear-music-at-kings
It’s official: Walking is good for you. It boosts your mood, your memory, your lung capacity and your sense of well-being. Just a 30 minute daily walk can help you sleep, resist disease, strengthen the heart, bones and muscles, and let flow those happiness endorphins.
So why not pull on those fur-lined wellies, pack up the waterproofs, trail munch and tea flasks and walk yourself warm? Britain’s got an endless choice of walks and wanders, from coastal footpaths to riverside rambles, forest tracks to city ambles.
Walking Britain offers a wealth of walks in England, Wales and Scotland. It’s website invites you to over 2,300 walks, from easy circular strolls to challenging mountain hikes. Walks by the coast, rivers and lakes, through lush countryside and across hills, moors and mountains are at your fingertips and ready for your footsteps, with all routes free to download and print.
With seven main routes to choose from, Walk London Network is the largest walking network of any city on earth. All routes are reachable by public transport and
set out so you can walk them in sections, going as little or as far as you want. Follow the Capital Ring, for instance, through 78 miles and 15 easy-to-walk sections of open space, nature reserves, historic landmarks and more. Thames Path is a 40 mile stretch of easy, level walking on both sides of the river, from Hampton Court Palace through the heart of London to East India Dock. Footways London also offers a network of quiet and enjoyable walking routes in and around London.
If social walking is your thing, sign up to that uniquely British institution, the Ramblers Association. The Ramblers have been promoting walks and walking for the past 88 years; today they organise 500+ local walking groups and many thousands of walks up and down the country.
Need to find your way? For Real Map obsessives and other traditional types (present author included) nothing can beat a dogeared, rain-soaked, misfolded Ordinance Survey paper map. For the uninitiated, OS is a national treasure and the mapping agency for Great Britain, whose original purpose was military–an urgent need to map Scotland after the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. Nowadays, OS produces an infinity of detailed maps covering every square millimetre of British landscape, with variations for walkers, mountaineers, cyclists and road users.
For everyone else, the web’s countless free or inexpensive apps and downloadable maps are incredibly handy. The communitybased walking app, Go Jauntly, provides an encyclopedia of maps, routes and ideas. This trove includes kid-friendly strolls, woodland wanders, coastal, canal, river and pub walks, and much more.
And speaking of pub walks, the Guardian has a long-running and popular column on great walks to great pubs. Its cheery tagline promises “a great walk that will always end in beers”.
Further information: walkingbritain.co.uk tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking ramblers.org.uk walks.gojauntly.com
Take Five is our quarterly feature bringing the best of British to Americans in Britain. Judith welcomes your thoughts and comments at judith0777@gmail.com.
I am an American in London, but when Ukraine was attacked earlier this year, it had a particularly personal meaning for me. Twenty years ago, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine. My hosts welcomed me like family, and, over the two years I spent there, I learned the language and made many close friends. It became a second home for me.
As the war broke out, I reached out to my friends to ask what I could do. They needed transport. More specifically, they needed a truck to help aid and support the brave people fighting on the front line.
I immediately started approaching my friends and family to raise money to buy a pick-up truck in the UK and then drive it to Ukraine. Through their generous support, I raised enough money for two pick-up trucks and then some. With the additional funds, I could purchase much needed goods like winter coats and boots. I asked a friend to drive with me, and so we loaded the trucks in London and made our way to France, through Belgium and Germany to Poland. In Poland, we handed the trucks over to Ukrainian contacts, who drove the trucks and supplies into Ukraine.
As we were driving, we could see donations continue to pour in. The war shocked the world, and people wanted to help. Meanwhile, my contacts began building a supply network in Ukraine to get critical goods and equipment to where it was needed most. They needed more trucks and more supplies.
On our return, we started building a charity to provide continued support to the people of Ukraine and the heroes on the frontline. It was clear that we could make an impact, so we registered as a US 501c(3) nonprofit, built a small group of volunteers to
run the operation and developed a network of volunteer drivers. Every other weekend we drive convoys of pick-up trucks loaded with humanitarian, medical and protective supplies from London to Poland, and from there our Ukrainian volunteers continue to drive them the rest of the way into Ukraine.
In nine months, we’ve raised over $1.5M and delivered over 100 vehicles and countless supplies to civilian defenders and internally displaced people. And through this work, we have built a reliable supply chain across Europe operated by a network of volunteers and partners.
As our mission has grown, so has our network. Our critical logistics pathways and contacts span the UK, across northern Europe and throughout Ukraine. We work in partnership with local Ukrainian charities, run by trusted friends who I’ve known since my time in the Peace Corps, so that our combined resources and networks can increase our impact and levels of support for the many people affected by this war. Through partnership with the global organisation Water Mission, we have installed 45 water distribution systems in Donetsk, Mykolayiv and Kherson. Combined, they supply over 10,000 gallons of safe water per day. We have also granted tens of thousands of the dollars we have raised to local charities to help heal minds affected by the trauma of war and repair damaged homes, such as replacing windows before winter sets in.
Most recently, we have prioritised the supply of generators. Due to recent attacks on power infrastructure, Ukraine has been plunged into freezing darkness. Nearly the entire population of around 45 million are living without electricity and heat. In the
last two weeks of November, we delivered over 45 generators to families and schools in Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson and Kyiv. Generators will remain our focus through the coming winter months. We expect to allocate about half of our funding to generators to keep people warm and connected. While the other half will be used to supply vehicles to distribute humanitarian aid to liberated areas, evacuate civilians from conflict zones and transport civilian defenders.
We have also received several large donations of children’s winter clothing, including 50 pallets of new warm clothing from a Polish retailer and Gap UK. Such donations in kind and corporate partnerships are very welcomed and enable us to get more critical gear to Ukraine to keep people warm through winter. While I am grateful for the critical supplies we have been able to provide, as we head into winter, the people of Ukraine still need us, and in particular, more generators and warm clothes.
While the war has been raging for over nine months, our work is only just beginning. We are always welcoming new volunteers and partners into our network, and of course the generosity of donors. If you want to make a difference in Ukraine, and are inspired to join our mission please sign up to drive in our convoy to Poland or to donate to our 501c(3) via our website.
www.ukrainianaction.com/volunteer www.ukrainianaction.com/donate Slava Ukraini!
Founder, Ukrainian Action Peace Corps Volunteer (Ukraine 2002-2004)
“Great Britain is a great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there”.
That’s what I told my friends after a highschool exchange trip to England 30 years ago.
Careful what you don’t wish for, I guess!
Now I do live here. I have on and off for 12 years. What part of Britain do I live in? Every. Wherever I park my house. I’m a vanlifer, you see. Yeah, one of those. All the rage now, I hear. Well, I’ve been at it since long before it became a thing you read about in the Sunday glossy magazine.
I’ve always had a van; the same one actually. I bought it when I was 17, fresh outta highschool; 1965. A VW Campervan; a split-screen one; paid 800 dollars for it. All the rage now, I hear. Might be worth a hundred times that now, I hear. Well, I had it long before it became a thing you saw in corporate bank adverts.
That one stays in the USA. It’s my home when I’m there a few months of the year. I have a newer one here; a 1978. Just tore the exhaust off it today, in a friend’s back garden, in the snow!
That’s vanlife to me: like the cowboys of old; or like running away to join the circus; a life on the move, a life lived outside, a life full of stories, a closeness with your horse, or these days, your van. Though to be technical; mine is a bus. A van has the engine in the front, a bus has the engine in the back. Now you know.
But I’m not a real cowboy. I’m a parkinglot cowboy over here, a car-park cowboy. I play music for a living, in pubs, at festivals, wherever will hire me. It’s about the closest I can come to being a cowboy, or running off with the circus these days. I play the blues. I play boogie-woogie. I play the back of any pub piano I can find. I never use backing tracks. I sing my heart out. It’s the only way.
On a good day I play the sitar, sing my songs, make people laugh, and often enough, make people cry. Then I swap stories over free cider with folks I just met, or old friends come back round until the wee hours of the morning. Then I curl up in the cosy bed in my bus, peek out the curtains at the moon one last time and shut my eyes. I’m parked in a
beautiful green field, I can hear sheep in the distance. The egalitarian trubador.
On a bad day, I’m laying on my back in a cold puddle making a guess at what’s gone wrong with the bus this time. I do some sort of makeshift repair, and am happy to call a cold, rainy lay-by home for the night. I curl up in damp blankets, make a thermos full of coffee for the morning; mostly so the cooker takes the edge off the chill, and wish I was somewheres else. I can hear the hiss of car tyres on the wet highway. I try to tell myself it sounds like the sea, but it doesn’t. The middle-aged homeless guy.
So which one am I? Whichever beast I feed, I guess.
It’s not the life for everyone. I’ll tell you that. When I was a kid, there was this girl buried in the local cemetery; died aged 8. She never got to live, so I figured I had to live for her; when there was a choice, I had to always choose interesting.
That’s how I wound up in Britain. I met a woman at the Burning Man arts festival in Nevada.
We really hit it off. She was from Aberdeenshire, Scotland. I’d never heard of the place. We spent a few days together after the festival, then she had to catch a plane home. What’s a guy to do? I chose interesting. I cancelled a couple gigs, and bought a plane ticket to a place I’d never heard of. It became home.
I’d lived in Alaska before, and Scotland is the Alaska of Britain. (Some people in Alaska like to talk of independence referendums too!). I liked it there; we had a great marriage, a cabin, a wood stove. I immigrated, the marriage ran its course, and we split up after 8 good years.
What do you call a musician that doesn’t have a wife? Homeless. Or an egalitarian trubador. Which beast do you feed...?
Well, I have a girlfriend now. I do stay at her place sometimes, but the road always calls like the wind. It is my home. It’s always felt that way. It’s what my songs are about; the romance of the road, the impermanence of life. It’s why I bought a bus in the first place.
You work a job, you own a house, you marry a woman. It all feels permanent, but it isn’t. You’re always only one heart-beat away. The vanlife reminds you of that every day. It cuts through the B.S. You could die on the road today. When you say good-bye to someone you mean it. And when you hug that old friend ‘hello’, you mean it; you hold them tight, you are alive.
So is vanlife in the UK better than in the USA? Of course it is. And of course it isn’t. That’s what I learned on that first high-school foreign exchange visit: it’s not better or worse, it’s just different.
Different. In the USA, I stay out west, dry climate, wide open spaces, plenty of Forest Service land to camp on for free. I book my gigs in the little towns and camp in the wideopen spaces during the week. I go north in the summer, almost to Canada. I go south in the winter, almost to Mexico. The places to camp are amazing; great views, natural hotsprings, dirt-road campsites so remote that more days than cars go by.
In the UK there are the festivals. There are the pubs. Both have a great culture. An ideal summer has a different festival every weekend; a different field, a different old manor-house grounds. I see old friends, we
drink cider and lay in the grass, it barely gets dark. We ask each other what festivals we’re doing...”will I see you at Camperjam this year? How about Vanlife fest?”.
In the good country bars in the States they literally oil the wooden dance floor. The guys spin the ladies country-swing as the band plays. My heart swells to see it, and I am proud to be American. In Britain you stomp in wellies on cider-slick grass in a steamy marquee as they worship old Queen and Oasis songs like a gospel revival. I am lost in the moment, hands in the air to the music. I am proud to be British.
I feed both beasts. I am blessed to have both in my life. Some things will always be harder as an immigrant, but it is always worth it. It is always interesting. I am blessed to live in an age where I can travel across the ocean easily. Though I must say: I do grow weary at
the ever-worsening soul-sucking process of long-haul flights. I hear you can take a ship across the Atlantic. I hear it takes seven days instead of seven hours. Maybe next time I cross over, I should choose interesting.
Dave Manning is on all the social medias, though rarely. He’d rather be on a hill-walk than the internet. His website is a great place start: DaveManning.net.
He’s released 3 albums, and the fourth is due out soon. All his albums are doublelength and come with a money-back guarantee. In twenty years, he says he’s only had one person ever take him up on the guarantee. Know a pub Dave should play at? Send him a message. Know a festival where he’d fit in? Let him know, and maybe you’ll see him there.
Safe Travels.
Hartwell House, Lower Hartwell, Vale of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP17 8NR
‘Why wouldst thou leave calm Hartwell’s green abode?’ Byron 1822.
If you would like to follow in the footsteps of Kings of England and France, and stay in a hotel steeped in literary history, then Hartwell House, based in Buckinghamshire is your destination.
Celebrated by Byron back in 1822 in The Age of Bronze, Hartwell House is steeped in history, with antiques, fine paintings and décor from a time gone by, and sits in grounds and parkland that guests can enjoy a stroll in any time of the year. In fact, the hotel boasts 94 acres of gardens and parkland, tennis courts and a spa with indoor swimming pool.
The gardener, Richard Woods (a rival of ‘Capability’ Brown), created the present-day parkland, and as you drive into the hotel and its grounds, you can find St Mary’s Church on your left hand side. This little octagonal church was rebuilt in 1753 by Henry Keene, and showcases one of the finest examples of the early Gothic Revival style, which looked stunning in the frost when we arrived. A few hundred yards later, and guests are
greeted with the magnificent equestrian statue of Frederick, Prince of Wales, dating back to around 1757, standing proudly in front of Hartwell House, and exuding a feel of stateliness and grandeur that is then reflected within the hotel.
Hartwell House’s buildings and landscape have been designed by architects and designers, including the architect James Gibbs, Henry Keene and James Wyatt.
Throughout its varied history, Hartwell House has had many different owners and visitors – as previously mentioned, Kings of England and of France, as well as a long line of Buckinghamshire baronets and a philanthropist. Over the centuries this Grade I listed house and garden have evolved to serve many different roles.
In 1809, Hartwell House was leased to the exiled King Louis XVIII of France and his court. King Louis remained at Hartwell until 1814 when the constitutional document, confirming his accession to the throne, was signed in the library by the King.
The Great Hall, that you enter on arrival, is a masterpiece of English baroque design
and most of this room is virtually unchanged since its completion around 1740, and is one of many rooms that has an open fire to warm guests on cold, wintry days.
Once we had completed check-in by the very friendly, welcoming and professional staff, we were shown around the hotel and then guided up the unique staircase that is decorated with carved Jacobean figures, that leads to a selection of suites and bedrooms.
Today a number of Royal Rooms and Royal Suites located in the main house offer the ultimate accommodation experience where guests are immersed in history. A number of ‘Royal Four Poster Rooms’ were once resided in by King Louis XVIII and his Queen and these four poster rooms are the perfect setting to celebrate and enjoy a true escape. There are four rooms situated at each corner of the main house decorated with antiques, fine paintings and awe-inspiring views of the gardens, parkland and lake.
Our room was situated in the middle of the hotel, and was large, with high ceilings and antique furniture and very comfortable beds. Rooms are in keeping with the age and
grandeur of the building so there are not as many modern accessories as you usually get, so no fridges, but don’t fret there is a TV!, and if you need ice etc., the staff are more than happy to help.
The Morning Room and the Library are decorated in the Rococo style, with curvilinear marble chimney pieces. The bookcases in the Library are fitted with some of the finest surviving gilt-brass wirework in the country, and it is in these rooms you can enjoy a leisurely drink, or Afternoon Tea as we did.
There is a large selection of teas to choose from, and we teamed this with a glass of light and sparkling English wine, which was a perfect way to start our stay at Hartwell House. The Afternoon Tea included a selection of traditional sandwiches - Roast Turkey, cranberry, rocket, Smoked Salmon, caper and dill cream cheese, Heritage Egg Mayonnaise and parmesan, and for me the star of the savoury selection - Pancetta, Chestnut, Sage and Apricot Sausage Roll.
Homemade Pastries Sponge Orange, almond and ginger ’gingerbread man’, Tart Salted Caramel and Milk Chocolate Tart,
Mousse Glazed Chocolate Mousse, cherry compote, chocolate sponge, and Macaron Bailey’s Cream, espresso gel macaron, were all delicious, and we had just enough space left for the Spiced Cranberry and Plain Scones Homemade Scones served with Cornish clotted cream and Strawberry Preserve, all priced at £37 per person (not including the sparkling wine).
By this stage and after our long journey, we were ready for a bit of R&R, so headed out of the House and back up the path we had driven down to the Spa, that has a good size indoor swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, steam rooms, gym, café, and treatments rooms for those who wish to pamper themselves.
Dinner was taken in Hartwell House’s main Dining Room, that has been designed in the style of the eminent early 19th century architect, Sir John Soane, and was nicely lit with candles on every table. The restaurant has been awarded two AA Rosettes, under the careful eye of Daniel Richardson, and I can see why. Every course we had was delicious, from our Port and Balsamic Shallot Tart Tatin, goats
cheese, pine nut veloute, that I actually said I could eat every day, to the Twice Baked Cheese Soufflé, broccoli and stilton puree, tender stem broccoli, salt and vinegar walnuts, poached pear, and Roasted Breast of Guinea Fowl, butternut squash pearl barley, pickled shallots, chilli, soy and lime dressing, that my friend, who runs a restaurant, thoroughly enjoyed. We finished our culinary journey with Buttermilk Panna Cotta, carrot and honey gel, salted caramel pecan ice cream, pecan brittle that we shared, and was followed by coffee and petit fours.
I am often disappointed with hotel restaurants, but that was not the case here. The staff were attentive and friendly, and the food was as good as I have had in top restaurants around the country.
Readers who have an interest in history and enjoy great service and great food, need look no further when sourcing a weekend away, as you will get all three at Hartwell House.
For further information visit: www.hartwell-house.com
AWLL is an organisation of London-based women with ties to the American legal community. Our aim is to provide professional development support to members through educational events, networking and mentoring opportunities. AWLL has also partnered with several top companies to offer exclusive discounts and benefits to members.
Please join us for our next event via Zoom on January 17th - “How to Future Proof your Career in Uncertain Times”. AWLL and SEAL will jointly host a one-hour interactive career webinar from Rachel Brushfield, Founder of EnergiseLegal.
We also have a full event calendar for 2023 planned, including our yearly 4th of July party! Visit awll.org.uk to learn about membership benefits, upcoming events and to join our group and/or mailing list.
For more information about AWLL, please visit our website at www.awll.org.uk or contact AWLL President Eryn Hanlon at eryn@awll. org.uk. You can also connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. We look forward to seeing you!
KCWC is an organisation of international women who want to enjoy everything London has to offer. We offer many activities and special events, as well as General Meetings, with prestigious speakers.
We appeal not only to expatriates and to those new to London, but also to those who want to experience the UK at its best. All are welcome to join and to participate in our activities. We have something for everyone, during the day or evening.
Enjoy more than 30 different activities including languages, art history, book group, walks, museum visits and much more. Participate in our special events and meet with prestigious speakers. Enjoy special discounts through our membership benefits.
KCWC hosts regular General Meetings, a great opportunity for social interaction and to hear our high profile guest speakers. On 9 February, we welcome Interior Designer, Rachel Fowler as our guest speaker talking about sustainable design. If you would like to
attend this KCWC event, then please contact info@kcwc.org.uk to register to attend.
KCWC has many special events for our members in 2023. We invite you to log onto www.kcwc.org.uk to explore our website and the many activities on offer. Join KCWC to experience friendship and the best of London. For more information contact info@ kcwc.org.uk or marketing@kcwc.org.uk.
We are the AWBS International Women’s Club, and we serve as a social, cultural, curious, intellectual, sporting, and philanthropic club for women who reside in Berkshire and Surrey. Founded in 1981, we are very proud of our heritage supporting American women and their families living in the UK, and now celebrate a more international presence amongst our membership.
We have a diverse and growing membership of 300+ women ranging between 25 to 74 and hailing from 46 different countries with 46% American and 15% being British. Our members are educated world travellers looking to meet like-minded women, share life experiences and expand their knowledge, as well as integrate into their local communities in a fun and friendly way. 1 in 4 members volunteers as club activity leaders, board members, or committee members, such as, membership, philanthropy or marketing.
Our Club offers 25+ monthly activities! We offer Tennis for newbies and experienced players, Golf, Horseback Riding, Dragon Boating, Country Walks, London Tours, Glorious Gardens, Photography, Inner Artist, Trip Abroad, Mahjong, Bridge, Book Club, English History, Art Appreciation and much more. Our Club thrives on allowing members to meet, share and make new friends so lunch is a must at some of our favourite Berkshire and Surrey venues, from restaurants to our beloved Windsor Great Park!
We have enjoyed a host of speakers. Some highlights of speakers include Lucy Worsley, author and historian; Terry Waite, humanitarian and author; Cassidy Janson, West End star; Robert Lacey, author and historian to the popular series, The Crown, Jenny Seagrove, Actress and Founder of Mane Chance Horse Sanctuary, Alex Denman from the Royal Windsor Rose and Horticultural Society – British Indian actor Roshan Seth.
Our General Meetings are open to all members and run from September to May and are held at noteworthy venues Wentworth Club, Coworth Park and royal Ascot Racecourse. These are well attended with some notable guest speakers. Pre-pandemic we have invited Anton Du Beke, Ruby Wax, Lady Carnarvon, David Emanuel, Martine McCutcheon, HRH Princess Michael of Kent, Judy Murray, Eddie The Eagle, Sharron Davies, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Jennie Bond and Cassidy Jansen.
The AWBS International Women’s Club has a strong focus on philanthropy and our monthly shopping Partner stalls at our general meetings is one example of how we raise funds throughout the year to support our chosen charities. Last year we raised over £13,000, an accolade our members are always thrilled to be a part of as Club members.
Joining the AWBS International Women’s Club connects you to a wonderful group of friendly, accomplished, and diverse women offering support, friendship, and opportunities.
We would love to hear from you and welcome you as a member! Contact our friendly membership team membership@ awbs.org.uk for any questions and for more on the Club and our up-and-coming events, visit our website www.awbs.org.uk, you can also find us on social media. Instagram: @ AWBSinternationalwomensclub, Facebook and LinkedIn. Scan our QR Code for more information.
If you are a member of an American Expatriate Club and would like to share your news, events and photographs with fellow Americans in the UK, please email ben@theamericanhour.com
CAF AMERICAN DONOR FUND
10 St Bride Street
London EC4A 4AD
Contact: Joe Crome, Senior Manager, CAF American Donor Fund
Telephone: +44 (0) 3000 123 150 (Telephone lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm excluding UK bank holidays).
Email: cadf@cafonline.org Website www.cafonline.org/cadf
With over 20 years’ experience, we are the smart, tax-effective way for dual UK and US taxpayers to achieve greater impact with their charitable giving.
The CAF American Donor Fund is a dual qualified Donor Advised Fund which can help you maximise the value of your gifts to charitable organisations. If you pay tax in the UK and the US, the CAF American Donor Fund enables you to claim eligible UK and US tax relief on your global giving, including adding 25% through UK Gift Aid where applicable.
We have a range of flexible products available, starting at one-off giving through to long-term invested funds. We accept donations of cash (any major currency); stocks and shares as well as non-cash gifts.
Whatever stage you’re at with your philanthropy journey, we can help. Our specialist team of Relationship Managers will be with you every step of the way to guide you quickly and efficiently throughout the management and administration of your giving, using our established and trusted service.
TASIS THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN ENGLAND
Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Surrey, TW20 8TE
Contact: Sarah Travis Telephone: 01932 582316
Email: ukadmissions@tasisengland.org Website www.tasisengland.org
The educational pathways TASIS England offers to day (3-18) and boarding (13-18) students include a broad-based American curriculum, AP courses, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and EAL support. Taught in small classes, every student in our diverse community from 50 nations is encouraged to reach their academic potential. Participation in co-curricular activities, the arts, athletics, and leadership programs provides balance, fosters curiosity, and develops Individual talents. With excellent exam results and one-to-one
college counseling, 97% of TASIS graduates gain acceptance to their first- or secondchoice university in the US, the UK, and worldwide. Extensive summer opportunities are also offered to students from all schools. Located close to London on a beautiful and historic 46-acre estate.
BUZZACOTT LLP
130 Wood Street, London, EC2V 6DL
Contact: Carlo Gray
Partner - Expatriate Tax Services team
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7556 1200 Email: enquiries@buzzacott.co.uk Website: www.buzzacott.co.uk Buzzacott is a top 20 UK accountancy firm in London, with a team in Hong Kong. For more than 50 years, our dual-qualified US/UK tax experts have helped individuals, companies, partnerships and trusts to comply with everincreasing tax regulations and minimise their tax liabilities. We specialise in preparing US/UK tax returns and providing bespoke advice tailored to individual circumstances. Rely on us for exceptional service with empathy and authenticity.
EXPAT LEGAL SERVICES GROUP
Website: Expatlegal.com Telephone: 1.888.502.8579
Contact: Roland Sabates Email: roland@expatlegal.com Expat Legal Services Group, with its background in international taxation, offers unique legal services for American expatriates and foreign nationals with financial interests in the United States. We leverage a suite of modern technology solutions that enable us to bring our international expertise directly to you no matter where in the world you might be living.
US TAX & FINANCIAL SERVICES
3 Harbour Exchange Square, London, E14 9GE
Telephone: +44 20 7357 8220
Contact: Joni Trulock Email: j.trulock@ustaxfs.com Website: ustaxfs.com Twitter: @ustaxfs
With over 35 years’ experience, our US/UK expat tax specialists provide US and UK tax return preparation, planning, compliance, and expatriation as well as all US business tax services, wherever you are in the world.
LONDON & CAPITAL
Two Fitzroy Place, 8 Mortimer Street, London, W1T 3JJ
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The core of our expertise at London & Capital is managing investments for wealthy families and our clients generally share similar requirements; they have amassed wealth or capital and now need it to be structured and invested in a way that preserves and grows it for the future.
We build investment strategies that are designed to be resilient and help clients achieve their long-term financial goals. Many of our clients are international, with finances, business interests, property and family across multiple countries. We provide clear comprehensive financial strategies and global reporting regardless of currency or location.
We are also one of the few wealth managers who actively welcome US clients and are both SEC (US) and FCA (UK) regulated, with a dedicated team looking after the wealth of international American families since 1989. Whether you are a US Citizen or Green Card holder living abroad, a British expat in the US or a foreign entity with US reporting, we are uniquely positioned to work you to organise your wealth into a coherent global strategy, invest with a focus on capital preservation and provide clear, concise global reporting.
MASECO PRIVATE WEALTH Burleigh House, 357 Strand, London, WC2R 0HS
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MASECO Private Wealth gives peace of mind by providing expert guidance to US families on how to simplify their cross-border wealth management needs. We serve and care for Americans living at home or abroad through the planning and implementation of rational, practical and tax efficient wealth management strategies.
To discuss advertising or annual print & digital
promotional packages in American in Britain magazine and www.theamericanhour.com, please email Helen at helen@theamericanhour.com
