Canary Wharf Magazine February 2020

February 2020

Magazine

My funny

VALENTINE Phoebe Waller-Bridge on family, fame and Fleabag PLUS: Fashion’s love affair with dance, where to stay in the world’s most romantic cities and the best gifts for him and her

E D I TO R’ S L ET T E R

L

et’s talk about love. Our neighbouring shops are festooned with roses, cards and heart shapes, bars are selling ‘love potion’ cocktails and restaurants are offering special menus à deux.

It seems, as Wet Wet Wet famously sang, love is all around us.

The cynic in me wondered if Valentine’s Day — falling as it does bang smack in midFebruary — was some kind of marketing ploy to cheer us up in the depths of a long, cold winter.

The truth, I’ve discovered, thanks to Rob Crossan’s feature starting on page 26, is that St Valentine was a priest who was beheaded in Rome by Emperor Claudius in AD 270. Not that romantic a tale you might think — but he was martyred because he married young Christian couples who were persecuted at the time - so doubtless a worthy recipient of a worldwide national memorial day.

As for adoration — I’ve never met a single person who isn’t slightly in love with actress and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

And it seems Hollywood agrees, with the Fleabag star being awarded a plethora of gongs this award’s season.

We nabbed Ms Waller-Bridge for a chat in between Dior dress fittings and found that, while she has the world at her feet, her feet remain firmly on the ground.

On page 18, she discusses how, even though she is in a happy relationship, it takes guts to “put yourself out there and roll with the punches” and, she says, the most complicated of relationships are “those we have with ourselves.”

So whether you are enjoying coupledom or doing it for yourself, I hope you enjoy this issue which references love and relationships throughout. It’s entirely possible, we recognise, that the love affair you want to embark on could be with this season’s new fashion looks or a romantic holiday destination.

Some may say it is a sin to be lustful of such things and perhaps Valentine’s Day is all about marketing, shopping and eating.

If so, I’m absolutely guilty and no doubt need to atone — but first I need to find a hot priest.

Dawn Alford

THIS ISSU E THE TEAM HAVE BEE N ...

RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE STARS

Deputy editor Ellen Millard caught up over coffee with celebrity clothing and interior designer Pearl Lowe. Her advice for enjoying a stylish home and how she struggles seeing her model-daughter Daisy in the celebrity limelight, will be in the March issue.

TREADING THE BOARDS ENJOYING A STAYCATION

In one of London’s top hotels.

No one does glamour like The Dorchester in Park Lane.

Natasha Afxentiou’s review is on page 98.

Writer Anna Prendergast welcomed in the weekend with a trip to see the The Welkin by Lucy Kirkwood at The National, starring Maxine Peake. You can read her full review on luxurylondon.co.uk.

ADMIRING YOUR CANARY WHARF PHOTOS ON INSTAGRAM

Our favourite local artist is Mandeep Authi and you can see just one of his pieces on page 109. Catch him on Instagram at @mani.authi.

CREATING GOLD

Canary Wharf’s newest bar, The Alchemist, tempted us away from Dry January with its incredible Valentine’s-inspired cocktails. It may also sell ‘mocktails’, but Blue Monday became a lot more enjoyable thanks to their Tickle Me Pink.

T H E AVA B A N G L E

J U B I L E E P L AC E . C A N A RY W H A R F . + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 75 3 8 2 3 3 2 DAVIDMROBINSON.CO.UK

38

CONTE NTS ISSUE NO. 175 – FEBRUARY 2020

REGULARS 14

CONTRIBUTORS Introducing the writers behind the February issue

16

THE AGENDA Everything you need to know this month

31

FOOD & DRINK Vegan chicken wings and winter warmers

18

4 6 WELLBEING

Fitness tips and sustainble beauty solutions

50

HER STYLE Spring into the new season with the latest accessories

52

FASHION SHOOT On location in South Africa

78

KIDS’ CLUB Top activities for February half term

FEATURES

18

REBEL YELL Phoebe Waller-Bridge on fame and Fleabag

26

THE BUSINESS OF LOVE How the world fell for Valentine’s Day

38

HEAD OVER HEELS Fashion’s dalliance with dance

80

86

52

64

THE BEST OF LONDON FASHION WEEK MEN’S The low-down on the capital’s biannual menswear showcase

68

COME TO YOUR SENSES The Venetian perfumer with a nose for scents

72

THE SPEED TRAIN Racing the Orient Express in a Bentley Bentayga Speed

80

2020’S TOP TECH The latest launches as unveiled at Las Vegas’s CES

TRAVEL

86

CALM BEFORE THE STORM Discovering India’s ancient practice of Ayurveda

88

A BIGGER SPLASH

94

The Parisian Art Deco masterpiece experiencing a revival

THE SUITE LIFE

Finding solace in the city: a staycation at The Dorchester

1 0 0 THE RECTORY

26

A converted church-turned-bucolic Cotswold escape

PROPERTY

113

THROUGH THE KEYHOLE The discerning homeowners championing short-term letting

Magazine

C ON TR IB U TOR S

CONTENT DIRECTOR

Dawn Alford

DEPUTY EDITOR

Ellen Millard

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Richard Brown

DIGITAL EDITOR

Mhairi Graham

SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR

Anna Prendergast

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Natasha Afxentiou HEAD OF DESIGN

Laddawan Juhong SENIOR DESIGNER

Ismail Vedat

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Alice Ford

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Eren Ellwood

GENERAL MANAGER

Fiona Smith

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

Rachel Gilfillan

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS

Samantha Lathan Danielle Thirsk

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Madelyn Curnyn

BRAND EXECUTIVE

Dom Jeffares

Marie Lunn

Jeremy Taylor

Shane C. Kurup

This month, freelance writer Marie Lunn explores a Parisian Art Deco institute-turnedhotel on page 94.

On page 72, motoring specialist Jeremy Taylor races the Orient Express in a Bentley Bentayga Speed.

Deputy style editor for Men’s Health Shane C. Kurup rounds up the best of London Fashion Week Men’s on page 64.

Where’s next on your travel bucket list?

I’m a big lover of train journeys. If my lottery numbers ever come up, the Venice Simplon-OrientExpress would be top of my bucket list. Failing that the sleeper train to Fort William and a whisky tour!

What are you looking forward to in February?

I’m looking forward to a visit to beautiful York and a proper Yorkshire pudding at Betty’s.

What’s your dream road trip motor and where would it take you? China to Kazakhstan following the Silk Route — on a motorbike, preferably with heated handgrips.

What are you looking forward to in February?

Driving through Namibia in the new Land Rover Defender.

What was your top trend from LFWM AW20? The return of the flared trouser and the continued rise of the wide-leg trouser.

Such a refreshing change after years of skinny legwear dominating.

What are you looking forward to in February? Getting some rest after fashion week season — my liver needs a break. It’s impossible to do dry January as a menswear editor! I’ll also be organising a trip to somewhere far-flung and hot.

PUBLISHED BY

ON THE COVER

LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK ONE CANADA SQUARE, CANARY WHARF, LONDON, E14 5AX T: 020 7537 6565

PHEOBE WALLER-BRIDGE ATTENDS THE 64TH EVENING STANDARD THEATRE AWARDS AT THEATRE ROYAL, 2018, IMAGE ©PICTURE CAPITAL/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Luxury London Media Ltd. cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs.

While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and Luxury London Media Ltd. takes no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Visit the subscriptions page on our website: luxurylondon.co.uk/subscribe

Book Club

Exhibition

How To Think More Effectively

by The School of Life

Masculinities: Liberation Through Photography at The Barbican

The School of Life, the organisation which aims to help people live more fulfilled lives, has just released a new guide for businesses and individuals called How To Think More Effectively. The book explores different styles of effective thinking which can lead to improved productivity. From ‘strategic thinking’ to ‘friend thinking’, each chapter demonstrates the different ways effective thoughts can be transferred into working days.

More than 300 works by more than 50 artists, filmmakers and photographers will explore how masculinity is experienced and socially constructed at The Barbican’s exhibition, Masculinities: Liberation Through Photography.

Works by Catherine Opie and Richard Avedon, to name a couple, will look at how photography has shaped the way masculinity has been understood and imagined in contemporary culture.

A

From £15, 20 February – 17 May, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y, barbican.org.uk

FROM TOP THOMAS DWORZAK, TALIBAN PORTRAI, KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN, 2002, ©COLLECTION T. DWORZAK/MAGNUM PHOTOS; ROTIMI FANI-KAYODE, UNTITLED, 1985

the

£10, Waterstones, Cabot Place

GENDA EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS MONTH WORDS NATASHA AFXENTIOU

4

NEWS

Food Pancake Day at The Breakfast Club Take part in The Breakfast Club’s Pancake Day competition this month, which challenges diners to devour 12 pancakes in just 12 minutes. Winners eat for free, but those who lose needn’t feel disheartened as all profits will go to the eatery’s awardwinning social action platform Good Day Productions.

The programme funds local community initiatives such as art workshops for underprivileged children and textile courses for refugee women. A sweet defeat indeed.

25 February, The Breakfast Club, Crossrail Place

of the best...

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Amour et Fleur’s L’Amour Collection features 20 elegant red roses in a heart-shaped box and makes for the perfect romantic gesture for your loved one this Valentine’s Day. £120, available at Brown’s London, Canada Place

Charbonnel et Walker’s Pink Heart box, which is illustrated with Victorian symbols of love and affection, contains the chocolatier’s signature Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles. £35, Charbonnel et Walker, Cabot Place

Environment

Film

‘Greenwich Park Revealed’ Project

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery Community Fund have granted £4.5m to The Royal Parks charity, which manages Greenwich Park.

The funds will go towards the Greenwich Park Revealed project, which aims to protect and future-proof Greenwich Park.

Parts of the project include building an eco-friendly learning centre, which will become a community hub overlooking the deer park, conserving wild grasslands, planting scrub for nesting birds, and improving sustainability by reconnecting water fountains with drinking water.

For more information about the project, visit royalparks.org.uk LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

After Harley Quinn left the Joker in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey sees Margot Robbie’s character take the lead in her own adventure.

In the film, Harley Quinn forms her own squad in an attempt to protect a young girl from crime lord Black Mask and his accomplice Victor Zsasz, played by Ewan McGregor and Chris Messina respectively.

Superheroes joining forces with Harley Quinn include Black Canary, Huntress and police detective Renee Montoya in an adventure which is set to bring us as yet more thrills from Gotham City.

From 7 February, Everyman Cinema, Crossrail Place

Design your own earrings, bracelet or necklace with Monica Vinader’s saccherine Fiji Bud Pendant Charms.

From £45 for the Fiji Bud Pendant Charms, Monica Vinader, Jubilee Place

This February, bottles of Isle of Harris Gin, which is infused with handharvested sugar kelp and distilled off the Scottish coast, will feature a special label finished with copper hearts. £45, harrisdistillery.com 17

PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE IN FLEABAG

Rebel

Yell AS THE FILM INDUSTRY IS FORCED TO CONFRONT ITS DARK SIDE, PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE HAS EMERGED I N T O H O L LY W O O D A S A T O U R D E F O R C E O F C O N F R O N TAT I O N A L , TA B O O - S H AT T E R I N G A R T T H AT C O U L D S E E H E R R E I G N I N T I N S E LT O W N F O R G E N E R AT I O N S T O C O M E WORDS DAWN ALFORD

PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE AT THE EMMY AWARDS 2019, © KATHY HUTCHINS/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

INTERVIEW

F

ew stars can claim to have captivated Hollywood in the manner Phoebe Waller-Bridge has in recent years. From writing, directing, and starring in one-woman play Fleabag, which, of course, evolved into a smash-hit TV series, to taking the helm for the equally successful small-screen spy thriller Killing Eve, she has gone from struggling playwright to the toast of LA. Indeed, in the midst of awards season, with win after win and photo after photo of the 34-year-old in varying states of euphoria, armfuls of trophies clutched to her chest, it’s hard to escape Waller-Bridge’s hold on the current entertainment landscape.

Just weeks ago she was awarded two gongs at the prestigious Critics’ Choice Awards, dressed in a sheer black Dior gown, having previously picked up two Golden Globe awards, wowing crowds on the red carpet in a couture tuxedo from Ralph & Russo.

But in typical British fashion, Waller-Bridge is blasé about her stratospheric success. “I just wrote a character that I would love to play, who was basically this dark, contradictory, lying, acerbic sex addict,” she says of the unnamed lead character of breakthrough Fleabag.

“I thought that would be fun, and people really related to that. She’s an amplified version of my own cynicism at the time, which is somebody who really believed that her main value in the world should be measured by how attractive she was. There’s an honesty and a brashness to her insecurities.”

Waller-Bridge says, however, that she was always confident that she had something to offer, and that at some point her work would find an audience. “I was aware that this is not an easy industry to break into and, as a writer and actor, I knew that it could take time before I would break through.”

“Honesty” and “brashness” certainly made BBC-produced and relatively low-budget Fleabag

“I just wrote a character that I would love to play, who was basically this dark, contradictory, lying, acerbic sex addict” punch well above its weight. Eleven Emmy nominations resulted, and Waller-Bridge emerged from the second, final season into a world where she was on top of the Hollywood pile.

In between series of Fleabag, she found time to write the first series of Killing Eve, winning her and the cast another mountain of awards in the UK and US and catapulting Jodie Comer to stardom.

“I was so proud of them, seeing them rocket off, with Sandra Oh’s success, and Jodie Comer being the new iconic actress of our time,” recalls Waller-Bridge. “I love when you can feel an actor really starting to own it, and as the series went on, particularly Jodie was just flying, and the character became hers. And in working so closely with Sandra, we would just endlessly talk about the script and the character. It’s a very fulfilling experience, working like that.”

Oh took the role of British intelligence officer Eve Polastri, while Comer played her nemesis, psychopathic assassin Villanelle. “What is really fun is working out who has the upper hand, and why – that idea of power,” says Waller-Bridge. “Each of them has a different superpower, and that really made it easier to measure the changes between them. Eve’s superpower is that she’s a super empath. She feels things very deeply and sees through people very quickly. Villanelle is the exact opposite, with her psychopathic traits.”

There’s little doubt that Waller-Bridge would never compromise her feminist nature for anyone. Indeed, she has much to thank for it off-screen too, after a chance moment of sisterhood with playwright Vicky Jones proved to be the start of her success.

“I met Vicky after she was fired from a play she was going to direct me in, and I quit out of

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

21

ABOVE PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE IN FLEABAG; OPPOSITE PHOEBE WALLERBRIDGE, SANDRA OH & JODIE COMER AT THE 2019 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS AT THE BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL, ©FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

solidarity,” she says of collaborator and best friend Jones. “It was the best thing that never happened to us. We didn’t really know each other, and we got absolutely hammered talking about what we love, about what we do, even though no one would give us a job doing it.”

Jones, she says, encouraged her, and inspired her to believe in her work – and in herself.

“When I wrote the first 10-minute monologue for Fleabag I really focused on how me and Vicky really speak to each other, how much we confide and trust each other. I thought, ‘What if I spoke like that to an audience, but with the promise that I’ll make it funny every single step of the way?’ And that’s what kind of unlocked it.”

As is the case with several stars who have ventured into the realm of semi-autobiography on screen, it’s easy to conflate Fleabag’s central character with Waller-Bridge herself. Perhaps that’s a deliberate choice given her own privacy about her relationships.

She was married to filmmaker Conor Woodman from 2014 to 2018 and now dates Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri director and Oscar-winner Martin McDonagh. But in spite of her reticence over matters of the heart, she is exuberant in her discussions of female friends like Jones and former co-star Jessica Knappett, who form part of her creative cabal.

“We meet up and have these aggressive chats till 4am, but we’ve started switching from booze to tea around 11pm because we need to remember the conversations. It’s one of those really lovely trusted groups where you can just go, ‘Am I crazy or...?’ If you’re lucky, it might turn out that you’re not.”

Waller-Bridge will not discuss her current relationship but does admit to being wary of intimacy. “Oh gosh, it’s so frightening, isn’t it?” she said in a recent interview with The Guardian.

“Putting yourself out there, and just rolling with the punches and taking that energy from it in a positive way would be an amazing way to live.

“But it’s so hard. And even though we all know it’s the right thing to do, I think that we all have a complicated relationship with ourselves. We see ourselves in lots of different ways and I think that there’s probably a scared person inside of us who just doesn’t want to be seen that often.”

Waller-Bridge was born in Ealing to a middleclass family with close links to landed gentry. On her father’s side, she is a descendant of the Rev Sir Egerton Leigh, 2nd baronet and Conservative MP for Mid Cheshire. Her maternal grandfather was Sir John Edward Longueville Clerke, 12th baronet of Hitcham, Buckinghamshire.

Her father Michael Waller-Bridge founded the electronic trading platform Tradepoint and her mother Teresa Waller-Bridge works for the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers charity.

She has a younger brother Jasper, a music manager, and an older sister, Isobel, a composer who wrote the music for Fleabag.

Although her parents divorced, Waller-Bridge is effusive about her happy upbringing, saying: “I was raised in a really lovely area, with my family, and kids playing on the street, everyone quite open and chatty. It was a lovely environment.”

It’s fair to say that both at school and later at acting school RADA, Waller-Bridge was seen as a rebel who enjoyed being able to shock an audience.

Next up will be her debut as a big-screen writer for the 25th Bond instalment No Time to Die. She is also considering writing a further movie, although she is keeping the title and subject matter to herself for now. “I might say it out loud and it might be a terrible idea,” she laughs. “It’s quite nice having it in the back of my head for now.”

And then there are the calls for her to revisit Fleabag in spite of its relatively recent conclusion, the final season’s apparent open-endedness not being enough to convince the show’s creator of a need to return.

“It felt like the most beautiful way to say goodbye to it, actually,” she says. “It does feel like the story is complete. It is so nice to hear that so many people loved it, maybe she shouldn’t have waved goodbye at the end… but it feels like the right way to end it, to go out on a high.”

T R AV E L

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

23

Object of

D ES IRE

Material gain: COS’s new jewellery collection is made entirely from recycled sterling silver From £39, COS, Jubilee Place

11 • 12 • 13 SEPTEMBER TICKETS & PACKAGES AVAILABLE AT GOODWOOD.COM

love

The business of VA L E N T I N E ’ S D AY H A S D E F I E D I T S B L O O D Y O R I G I N S T O B E C O M E S E R I O U S LY B I G B U S I N E S S .

W E E X P L O R E H O W T H E 1 4 TH F E B R U A R Y E V O LV E D F R O M A D AY O F M U R D E R O U S M A R T Y R D O M T O O N E O F F R E E W H E E L I N G M A R K E T I N G M AY H E M

W

WORDS ROB CROSSAN

hen you think of tenderness, love, romance and overpriced chocolates, images of decapitated third century Christian martyrs are unlikely to be troubling you too much. But the modern phenomenon of cards, lingerie, chocolate mousse and red roses can’t be explained without delving deep into the sinister origins of Valentine’s Day. For anyone who thinks the largest achievement of the 14 February date comes courtesy of the gift and hospitality industry’s myriad ways of extracting money out of us then you’d be wrong. The great victory of business has been to cover up how Valentine’s Day began almost completely.

Indeed, it’s only thanks to the diligent research of a bunch of Belgian monks who spent three centuries collecting evidence for the lives of saints that we’re aware of the fate of the original St. Valentine at all.

It didn’t end well for what appears to be three different St. Valentines. All of them (including one who was a priest from Umbria) were executed during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicus in 269-270 A.D for the crime of being

Christian. The bishop met a grisly end for attempting to convert a man to Christianity and also, according to legend, healing his disabled son. Partial remains of the skulls of at least one of these martyrs, all killed on 14 February according to legend, are displayed in churches around Italy. All very interesting but hardly the stuff of gift cards and teddy bears.

For that we have to move forward a few centuries to Geoffrey Chaucer who, in his poetry, equated Valentines with the mating of birds. As he wrote in his poem Parlement of Foules: “For this was on seynt Volantynys day. Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.”

The equation of English birds pairing off to produce eggs in February with human romance was a popular one. Soon, nature-minded European nobility began sending love notes during bird-mating season.

Those love notes have expanded to become the roughly 114 million Valentines cards that are now sent each year. Though it took a certain American stationers daughter, Esther Howland, to get the mass marketing of Valentine’s Day off the starting blocks.

Back in 1847, when she received a card herself, she decided that there could be a US market for a less formal version of these rather stiff, greeting cards.

TOP LEFT SAINT VALENTINE HEALING EPILEPSY, 1899; TOP RIGHT VALENTINE’S CARD BY ESTHER HOWLAND, CIRCA. 1870S, BOTH COURTESY OF WIKICOMMONS

VALENTINE’S CARDS BY ESTHER HOWLAND, C.1870S, COURTESY OF WIKICOMMONS

LEFT AURA SOLITAIRE RING, £6,000, DEBEERS. CO.UK; RIGHT SAINT VALENTINE BLESSING AN EPILEPTIC, COURTESY OF WIKICOMMONS/ WELLCOME COLLECTION

F E AT U R E

In Massachusetts, Howland, using her father’s stationary company’s supply of high quality paper and lace, made a dozen sample Valentine’s Day cards and asked her brother to try and offload them during a sales trip for the family firm, S.A. Howland & Sons. Esther was hoping to make around $200. Incredibly, her brother returned with twenty five times that amount.

Howland is still honoured with the nickname ‘Mother of the American Valentine’, with many citing her work as the start of a multi-million-dollar industry.

Though back in the UK, the commercialisation of the day, not to mention the calorie intake, was already well underway.

Twenty years prior to Howland’s lightbulb moment, the Cadbury Chocolate Company sold its very first heart shaped box of chocolates designed specifically for the occasion.

Though what use is a box of chocolates without a suitably pithy and heartfelt line of verse written on the accompanying card?

Naturally Shakespeare led the way a couple of centuries earlier in this regard – ‘to be your Valentine?’ is a direct line from Hamlet, while the oft-repeated couplet, ‘You are my sun and stars, my night, my day’ is from his sonnet entitled In Praise of Beauty.

But it took the New England Valentine company in Massachusetts to see the potential in mimicking this kind of sentiment for mass appeal. In 1879 the company published the Valentine Verse Book, which contained 131 “verses” that people could cut out and paste inside of the cards they planned to send.

The marketing of Valentines was now seriously gathering pace.

The year 1910 was when ‘saying it with flowers’ first became a de rigour element of the big day. Florists’ Telegraph Delivery (today known as Florists’ Transworld Delivery) began a new service whereby customers were able to remotely order flowers and have them delivered by the firm to the object of their desires. Though the likes of Hallmark Cards (founded in the same year), Cadbury and Florists’ Telegraph Delivery could only charge so much for their creations.

You have to hand it to De Beers for really upping the ante when it comes to applying increasing mercantile pressure to customers on this increasingly expensive day of the year. In 1948, the South African company launched an advertising campaign with the slogan ‘A Diamond is Forever’ in time for 14 February, cementing the idea that chocolates and flowers alone really just don’t cut it for the true gentleman with romance in mind. Whether a certain Ian Fleming caught the campaign slogan, giving him the ideal name for a 007 novel isn’t confirmed.

Cut to the early days of the digital era and Saint Valentine became the propulsive force for a certain online video sharing site called YouTube. Launched on Valentine’s Day in 2005, the

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

“The modern-day marketing ploy is much more focused on celebrating relationships by staying at home” site’s co-founder Steve Chen claims the idea was the brainchild of “three guys on Valentine’s Day that had nothing to do”.

For many founders and board members these days, the one thing they can begin doing on the evening of 14 February is start counting their profits. UK consumers spent £1.8bn wooing loved ones on Valentine’s Day last year.

Flowers alone account for an eye-watering amount.

According to the U.S. Trade Census, the total value of fresh-cut roses imported for last year’s Valentine’s Day in the USA was $354,703,23 (roughly £266m).

A sizable chunk of this can be put down to artificial price hikes alone. Incredibly, a dozen long-stemmed red roses can be marked up by $75 (around £50) in the middle of February.

And it’s all still rather old fashioned in terms of chivalrous spending. In the UK on average, men spend £40 on their partner on Valentine’s Day, whereas women spend an average of £24.

The main victim in all this is the Cupid on a budget. And, as counter-intuitive to the soaring-heart recklessness of true love as it may ostensibly seem, perhaps the future of Valentine’s will be slightly more frugal.

“The modern-day marketing ploy is much more focused on celebrating relationships by staying at home with romantic meals for two,” says Loughborough University economist Dr Jon Seaton.

“This is a necessary change, purposely marketed and promoted, to increase footfall in their large format stores. Common to all major retailers this year are deals on chocolates, meals for two, some as low as £10, flowers, which includes £5 for a dozen roses and cards costing from 49p to about £4. These items all come in very cheap indeed because these are the commodities they choose to compete with.”

But, warns Dr. Seaton, potential romantics with an eye on their wallet shouldn’t be taken in by these supposed deals.

“Other prices of ‘normal’ products may rise in these periods as we, the consumer, give less attention to them and focus on the search for the ‘panic gift’ for a loved one”, he concludes.

So perhaps ‘saying it with thrifty, good value, reasonably thought through flowers’ isn’t the winning marketing tagline of the future. But, whether you’re saying it with diamonds, chocolates or an economics textbook, the soundtrack of Valentine’s Day is, for the foreseeable future at least, just as likely to be the sound of ringing cash registers as it is soaring violins.

29

Proof 4.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2020 15:49 Page 1

DON’T WAKE UP IN YOUR OWN BED THIS VALENTINE’S CURIOUS? With an outstanding selection of boutique style bedrooms and food & drink offerings, book the ultimate luxury escape this February.

MAKE THIS VALENTINE’S MONTH ONE TO REMEMBER

Packages start from £129 Bed & PACKAGES START FROMemail Breakfast.

Please £129 Bed & Breakfast events@lincolnplazalondon.co.u k and quote PLEASE EMAIL CMW1402 to take advantage of special offers exreservations@lincolnplazalondon.co.uk and quoteavailable CMW1402 to Canary clusively Wharf Magazine readers. This This offer is exclusively available to Canary Wharf offer is valid throughout the Magazine readers. Offer is valid throughout the month ofFebruary February and subject to month of and subject to availability.

Visit lincolnplazalondon.co.uk for more information or call 020 7987 1157 2 LINCOLN PLAZA CANARY WHARF E14 9BD

INDULGE

Experience incredible Indian cuisine in our very own Mr. Todiwala’s Kitchen by Cyrus Todiwala, OBE, D.L

FEAST

Whether you’ve been together 2 weeks or 20 years, Valentine’s weekend at Food Store Restaurant will allow you to impress like it’s your first date.

IMBIBE

Finish the evening with one of our unique cocktails in Jack Speak Cocktail Bar.

REVIVE

Blow the cobwebs away with a refreshing dip in the pool or take it easy in the steam room and sauna.

COCKTAIL BAR

NEWS

RICE GUYS Known for its food trucks which travel around London, Rice Guys has opened its first permanent location in Reuters Plaza.

The Chinese comfort food makes for a great lunch option and is made with all natural ingredients and no artificial colouring, flavouring or preservatives. We recommend trying the Smoky Barbecue Pork Rice Box, the brand’s original signature dish featuring slow-roasted pork which has been marinated for 24 hours and topped with honey soy glaze. Multiple dietary requirements are also catered for, with dishes such as the veganfriendly Funghi Mapo Tofu.

Rice Guys, Reuters Plaza

Food & Drink STEAMING CUPS OF COFFEE AND SPICY VEGAN SNACKS – THESE ARE T H E B E S T T R E AT S T O K E E P Y O U WA R M THIS FEBRUARY WORDS NATASHA AFXENTIOU

WINGING IT

KEEP IT HOT, HOT, HOT Finding your perfectlybrewed tea in a cold, undrinkable state can now be a thing of the past. The Ember Travel Mug2 uses Ember’s patented temperaturecontrol technology to keep tea or coffee at your preferred drinking temperature for up to three hours. Whether you choose to control the settings using the touch display on the mug itself or the Ember mobile app, you no longer have to rush the enjoyment of your favourite hot drink. £179.95, ember.com LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

WINTER WARMERS Until the end of February, the Blonde Macchiato trio of drinks are available at Starbucks. The macchiato flavours on offer include Vanilla Bean, Roasted Hazelnut and Golden Honey, each of which complement the light taste of Starbucks’ Blonde Roast coffee. The winter menu is also still available with treats such as the chocolate and coconut overnight oats and chicken and pesto toastie making for great accompaniments to the limited edition drinks.

Hackney-based vegan fried chicken brand Temple of Seitan has brought its vegan wings to BrewDog, providing a meat-free alternative to the popular pub snack. The wings, which are made from the wheat protein seitan, have been given the BrewDog treatment – doused in the brand’s signature hot sauce and syrup glaze and served with a mouthcooling vegan mayo, this tasty snack packs a flavoursome punch.

From £7.50, BrewDog, Churchill Place

Starbucks, One Canada Square 31

FOOD & DRINK

Review

THE ALCHEMIST T H E B A R P R O V I N G T H AT MIXOLOGY ISN’T AN ART – IT’S A SCIENCE WORDS ANNA PRENDERGAST

I

t’s not every day a bartender tells you to “squirt it into your mouth, and keep an open mind,” (at least, not for me) but it’s a fairly regular occurrence at The Alchemist, a playful bar for whom naughtiness and mystery are calling cards.

The ‘it’ in question was szechuan sauce, blood-red and served in a syringe propped on top of a ‘Tickle Me Pink’, a gin-based cocktail infused with elderflower and nettle. Since The Alchemist opened on Reuters Plaza, it’s become one of the most-ordered drinks on the long, slightly overwhelming menu – it incorporates the bar’s signature flair for drama, but it’s also refreshing, drinkable and not so dramatic as to invite curious looks from across the restaurant. The ‘Mad Hatter’, on the other hand, looks like a lab experiment and caused hilarity (and the odd hiccup) on a neighbouring table.

At risk of producing drinks that prioritise style over substance, the mixology team has managed to use experimental ingredients (frothing ‘fairy liquid’, sherbert, seaweed) and theatrical elements such as dry ice, to produce a fun, futuristic menu. You can even download an app that uses augmented reality to tell stories while you sip – simply point your smartphone at your drink, and the experience takes an interactive turn.

For all it’s magic and alchemy, the brand-new space is also lowkey and cool, a relaxed, grownup place to hang out and simply have a beer if a foaming pink potion feels a little far-fetched. A lovely smokey fragrance wafted through the restaurant when we visited – it could have been the dry ice, or the chargrilled honey and sriracha chicken, or the panfried sea bass – and solo diners took up as much space as couples.

If the idea of a sickly-sweet Valentine’s Day makes you shudder, date night at The Alchemist is a little like taking in dinner and a show, without the extortionate tickets or overpriced plates – plus, there’s a special new zodiac-inspired cocktail to try (right), with chemistry in spades (even if your date is lacking). Order with a side of gyoza, which are pan-fried to a perfect, firm texture and served with sweet chilli soy. The vegan options are impressive for those with plant-based diets, but there’s also crispy pork belly and peking duck to get your teeth into – and while the cocktails may take centre stage, the food is a worthy understudy.

‘Date night at The Alchemist is a little like taking in dinner and a show’

Reuters Plaza; thealchemist.uk.com 32

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

ENJOYED EVERYPL ACE. MADE IN ONE.

L I V E F R E E L Y. D R I N K R E S P O N S I B L Y.

©2020 JACK DANIEL’S. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. JACK DANIEL’S AND OLD NO.7 ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS

PROMOTION

G O OF F P IST E AND C H ILL OU T AT THIS WINT ER’S MOST LUXUR IOUS P OP- U P B AR

A

lpine adventure awaits at London’s most ambitious pop-up entertainment space, Off Piste, set against the spectacular peaks of Canary Wharf.

The much anticipated lodge-style bar in Canada Park offers a truly immersive après-ski experience with warming winter cocktails and Pravha beers, pizza and an interior and exterior décor that evokes the romance and glamour of an alpine winter setting.

Adding to the spirit of St Moritz, Off Piste, in partnership with The Office Group, also features five individual raised luxury cabins – perfect for cosy gatherings with friends or family, or for an after-work drink with a difference.

The cabins have been built in association with The Office Group (TOG) and each is uniquely designed to represent one of the brand’s landmark London buildings. There are a range of seating configurations – with cosy seating for two, four or six guests as well

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

as larger tables perfect for bigger groups. Advance bookings can be taken and each chalet can also be hired exclusively.

And while it may be cold outside, there will be no need for thermals – the bar is enclosed and heated, and the outdoor terrace area is complete with vertical LCD heaters and festive lights.

A high-definition and interactive giant screen adds to the immersive experience showcasing aweinspiring footage, from the Northern Lights to the Rocky Mountains.

On Thursday evenings, free DJ events and specially-themed 80s music will ensure Off Piste is the place to party. Customers can book tables in advance or hire the entire space on request.

Off Piste is set the be the hottest place to chill this winter.

To book your space, visit offpiste.bar

35

What can we expect to find at the new Pamban branch?

We are chai and coffee specialists at heart, inspired by both our Western and Asian heritage. At Pamban Canary Wharf you can expect to taste our innovative range of over eight different hand-brewed chais, as well as speciality espresso-based drinks and a rotation of rare single-origin filter coffees from all over the world. Our signature red cappuccino (made with antioxidant-rich and caffeinefree rooibos) is a nod to one of the founders who was born in South Africa, and our Jaggery Milkshake, Faluda and Probiotic Protein Lassis are fun treats. We offer vegan alternatives, too, and we will be showcasing drinks steeped in ayurvedic wellness.

Why did you choose to open in Canary Wharf ?

Having worked in Canary Wharf ourselves, we know the area well and appreciate the need for decent independent coffee and proper chai at speed without any compromise in quality for the busy Canary Wharf crowd. Our baristas have years of experience and live and breathe coffee.

How will it be different to the Camden branch?

Our Camden branch is a 1000sq ft site with over 50 covers. It’s a large space where we serve brunch and cocktails, and host

PA M B A N : our cup of tea FOUNDERS ARUNA SELLAHEWA A N D M AY H U L G O N D H E A E X P L A I N WHY THEY’RE BRINGING THEIR AWARD-WINNING CHAI TO CANARY WHARF THIS MARCH

events such as live music and yoga. It's our HQ where we do our recipe testing and work on our new products too. Pamban CW is a leaner unit to handle the volume and waves typical of Canary Wharf. We will have some of the latest coffee equipment including the La Marzocco KB90, as well as all the facilities to make our famous chai fresh in front of the customers, which includes grinding the spices by hand. We’re also planning a filter wall station to showcase rare single-origin coffee, and a delivery service for offices and meetings.

What's the secret to a good chai tea?

At Pamban we grind our spices by hand and hand-brew all our chai in front of our customers. Our secret recipe is not a syrup or concentrate but the real deal. We use a blend of teas that give you a depth of flavour and only use a little bit unrefined jaggery (cane sugar) to add a hint of sweetness that compliments and brings out the spice in our classic and addictive chai. We have a range with different taste profiles and experiences: saffron, cinnamon, karak, rose and a whole range of vegan chais to name a few!

What else will be going on in the store?

At our Canary Wharf branch we will be selling our chai and coffee for you to take and make at home, alongside our loose leaf tea selection, spices and Sri Lankan and Indian goods, such as our handmade clay cups and Sri Lankan Ayurvedic Samahan.

We also plan to do chai tasting and brewing lessons where you can learn all about how we make our chai and have a go, too, plus coffee workshops where you can learn to do latte art.

Canada Place; pamban.co.uk canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

@canarywharflondon

H ead ove r he el s A NEW BOOK BY RIZZOLI EXPLORES WHY DANCE AND FASHION MAKE FOR THE P E R F E C T PA S D E D E U X WORDS ELLEN MILLARD

Dancers Laurel Dalley Smith, Leslie Williams, So Young An, Anne O’Donnell, Anne Souder, and Charlotte Landreau wear costumes created by dancer Martha Graham for the Night Journey performance as part of the Martha Graham Dance Company.

When Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of Dior, was asked to design a series of clothes for the Martha Graham Dance Company, she “took great inspiration from the work of a number of artists, including Loïe Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham and Pina Bausch, who used dance as a way of breaking free.” Just as her creations work for the stage, so do her predeccessors’; here, Calvin Royal III, soloist at the American Ballet Theatre, wears a dramatic vintage Dior cape, sourced by New York Vintage.

STYLE

W

hen Coco Chanel was tasked with creating costumes for the progressive travelling dance group the Ballets Russes in 1924, she made a crucial error in her design. Selecting knitted bathing suits from her spring collection, the designer favoured form over function. Beautiful though the suits were, they were entirely impractical; when the male dancers held their female companions, the silky fabric would slip through their fingers, and they risked dropping them mid-step.

It wasn’t an easy partnership, but Chanel’s collaboration with Ballets Russes at the very least began a new era for costume design – one that incorporated high fashion into the discipline of dance, steered by skilled costume departments that had a better grasp, as it were, of the considerations of choreography.

On modern stages, courtiers continue to have influence. At the New York City Ballet’s annual Fall Fashion Gala, young choreographers and fashion designers work together to create exciting new productions, in a scheme that has seen the likes of Valentino, Virgil Abloh and Gareth Pugh participate. Similarly, Erdem created 21 ethereal costumes for a Royal Opera House production in 2018, while the Royal Ballet has worked with designers Jasper Conran and Gareth Pugh, and Sadler’s Wells enlisted the expertise of Alexander McQueen in 2009, Hussein Chalayan in 2015 and Dries Van Noten in 2017.

“No one can move or bring to life to an item of clothing quite like a dancer,” says photographer Deborah Ory. “Once you put the clothing on a professional dancer, it takes on a new life, adds expression, feeling and shape. Fashion naturally becomes intertwined with dance.”

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

41

Principal dancer at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Jacqueline Green (pictured), says she loves dancing in flowing clothes because they “make you feel and look like you’re floating or flying”.

But for Gilles Mendel, creative director of J. Mendel, “the true alchemy comes down to the dancers themselves. Their grace and athleticism bring the clothes, quite literally, to new heights.”

XXXXX

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

43

XXXX

Together with her husband Ken Browar, Ory has produced a collection of photographs capturing some of the world’s leading dancers in clothing by the most celebrated couturiers, both past and present. Published in a new book, The Style of Movement: Fashion & Dance, the project aimed to capture the relationship between the two disciplines, dressing the likes of American Ballet Theatre principal Misty Copeland, New York City Ballet principal Tiler Peck and Mariinsky Ballet principal Xander Parish in costumes by Valentino, Versace and Dior.

“Dancers have unique ways of movement,” Ory says, “and it’s a movement that allows the clothing to take on a life of its own and become another element in the photograph. The clothing is like a partner for the dancer, allowing for unique and interesting shapes to be created, while also adding emphasis to the emotion and mood of the image.”

In preparation for the shoot, the couple spent hours watching runway shows and picking the pieces they dreamed of using, before approaching fashion houses to ask for permission. Some were archive designs, borrowed from museums and sourced by vintage experts, while others were leant from the designers themselves.

“I was drawn to designers who have been inspired by dance,” Ory explains. “Issey Miyake, Valentino, Dior and Iris Van Herpen were some of the first designers I gravitated towards. We were looking for pieces that would not look like fashion from a particular time period, but rather were classic. And, of course, it was important to find pieces that moved well with the dancers.”

In the case of Valentino, the designer personally picked out two vintage pieces for Tiler Peck to wear – one of which appears on the cover of the book.

“I have always designed thinking about the movement of the woman wearing the dress – where she would wear it, how she would move in it and what it means to her,” the designer writes in the book’s foreword. “A dress should never be designed just to be viewed from just one angle; movement must be considered in an entire 360-degree point of view. Wearing clothing is about expressing emotion – just the way dance is.”

“Wearing clothing creates an exciting and imperative form of self-expression,” says fashion designer Iris Van Herpen, who dressed American Ballet Theatre principal Christine Shevchenko (pictured) in the book. “I find that form complements and changes perception of the body, and thus, the inherent emotion. Movement, so essential to and in the body, is just as important in how I approach my work. By bringing form, structure, and materials together, I try to suggest and realise optimal tension and movement.”

The Style of Movement: Fashion & Dance

by Ken Browar and Deborah Ory, approx. £77, rizzoliusa.com 44

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

CANADA PL ACE, LONDON E14 5ER

Untitled-1 1

|

T H I R D S PAC E . L O N D O N

12/12/2019 12:49

Wellbeing WITH A NEW YEAR COMES NEW WELLNESS T R E N D S . F R O M M A R AT H O N - T R A I N I N G T R A C K E R S T O S U S TA I N A B L E B E A U T Y SOLUTIONS, THESE ARE THE PRODUCTS T O TA P I N T O I N 2 0 2 0 WORDS NATASHA AFXENTIOU

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR With the London Marathon just a few months away, more and more of us are dusting off our running shoes.

But many runners admit they are concerned about the pollutants they may be breathing in, which can be harmful and often go unnoticed. Now the new Tenzing Clean Air Tracker, which has been created by drinks brand Tenzing in partnership with King’s College London, addresses this concern for those who enjoy running in the capital. The tracker syncs with GPS tracking app Strava and allows runners to monitor the air pollution levels around them using the live Air Quality Score, and plan routes that avoid the most polluted areas. tenzingcleanairrunclub.com

DESKSIDE SANCTUARY While experts agree it is important to take a break from your office every day, the reality is that for many of us we remain desk-bound. Enter Freedom Wellness Therapy, which offers deskside holistic and beauty treatments. Operating in Canary Wharf, the mobile health and wellness treatment provider offers services from sports and relaxation massages to manicures and pilates sessions, all of which are performed by professional and specialised practitioners. freedomwellnesstherapy.com

NEWS

DESERT DREAM Chanel has launched its Desert Dream collection, just in time for you to refresh your makeup look for spring.

Inspired by the muted peach, mauve and brown tones of the desert, the products feature a combination of matte and shimmery textures, making them perfect for transitioning your look into the new season. Our top pick is the Warm Memories eyeshadow quad, a selection of sultry shades that can be worn alone or blended together for extra impact. £44, available from Chanel in Boots, Canada Place

MAINTAIN YOUR MICROBIOME Despite having a complex name, microdermabrasion is

one of the simplest and least disruptive treatments available at Sk:n. A microdermabrasion facial leaves skin free from dead and tired skin cells after being treated with microcystals and promotes the production of new skin cells to leave your skin looking fresher, healthier and less dull.

From £55, SK:N, Canada Place

TOTAL WIPEOUT

EASY AS 1, 2, 3, CBD

With sustainability at the forefront of people’s minds, a simple step to becoming more eco-conscious is to wipe out singleuse makeup wipes from your skincare routine and replace them with something more environmentally friendly. Using HaloTech fibers, Face Halo removes makeup and impurities gently and easily with water alone, making it perfect for all skin types – including sensitive skin as no harsh scrubbing is required. This non-toxic, reusable method replaces up to 500 single-use wipes.

Cannabidiol (CBD) infused beauty products have been on the market for a while and have sparked a buzz since their arrival. Jumping on the bandwagon, Ambience’s CBD-infused products claim to target muscle aches and pains, invigorate and energise the body and nuture your skin. This handy lip balm is a mix of mango butter, shea butter and premium CBD from natural hemp extract, which work together to naturally soften and protect weather-worn lips.

£7, Boots, Jubilee Place LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

£6.99, Holland & Barrett, Jubilee Place and Canada Place

A MULTITASKER FOR MINIMALISTS A more minimalist approach to beauty is becoming increasingly popular: skincare fanatics are streamlining their arsenal with multi-purpose products, such as the Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream. This wonder balm is made from only natural ingredients including beeswax, honey, olive oil and royal jelly, and can do everything from hydrating your lips to repairing dry skin and taming frizzy hair. £29, Boots, Jubilee Place 47

DISCOVER THE

BEAUTY

HEALTHCARE . PHARMACY . SKINCARE . WELLBEING

PENELOPE CHILVERS’ SS20 COLLECTION (P.52)

S T Y L E

Sustainable style from Mulberry, COS and Levi’s (p.52)

Spring fashion highlights on location in South Africa (p.54)

The best of London Fashion Week Men’s (p.66)

JEAN GENIES In partnership with Cooperative Porto Alegre, a non-profit organisation that provides job training for vulnerable people, including refugees and asylum seekers, Levi’s has created a limitededition collection of handbags, pencil cases and pouches handmade using repurposed denim. One hundred per cent of the net proceeds will be donated back into the cooperative.

CLUTCH CONTROL Introducing your forever bag: DeMellier’s Florence clutch is a wardrobe staple if we’ve ever seen one. Featuring a push lock, pleated design and delicate gold chain strap, the evening bag is available in smooth, quilted, snake- or lizard-effect leather and no less than eight shades – one to suit every outfit, perhaps...

From £335, demellierlondon.com

Her Style S U S TA I N A B L E A C C E S S O R I E S A N D VA L E N T I N E ’ S D AY J E W E L S

SH AP E

IF T E SH

RS

WORDS ELLEN MILLARD

Merging utilitarian shapes with architectural references, COS presents a contemporary collection for SS20, in which new silhouettes take centre stage. Crafted using ecological materials such as 100 per cent sustainably-sourced cotton and vegetable-dyed fabrics, the range makes a nod to geometric surfaces and aerial landscapes with juxtaposing proportions, such as effortless draped fabrics paired with the brand’s signature tailoring.

COS, Jubilee Place

From £15, Levi’s, Canada Place

NEWS

TO THE LETTER Pen the perfect Valentine’s Day message with Jacqueline Rabun’s sterling silver and 18ct gold alphabet pendants – love letters of a different variety.

From £169 each, jacquelinerabun.com

SHOE THING Inspired by a recent trip to Argentina, Penelope Chilvers’ SS20 collection evokes the wonders of the nation’s Gaucho culture. The collection of shoes, leather sandals and accessories feature shades directly inspired by the South American landscape, as well as subtle stripes in a nod to traditional ponchos in the southern Pampas regions. penelopechilvers.com

BAGS OF STYLE Mulberry’s first sustainable bag is designed to look like the “beautiful utility” of a plastic carrier. Crafted from heavy grain leather created using by-products of food production and stitched using a recycled polyester fibre thread, this shopper is decidedly more chic than your typical 10p tote — and far better for the planet, too. £795, Mulberry, Jubilee Place

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

51

Spring into

ACTION N E W S E A S O N S T Y L E S F R O M PA U L S M I T H , B O S S A N D A L E X A N D E R M C Q U E E N S H O T O N L O C AT I O N I N S O U T H A F R I C A PHOTOGRAPHY TURI LØVIK KIRKNES STYLING VICTORIA WRIGHT

OPENING PAGE: Him: Fieldmaster jacket, £450, Officer chino, £160, belstaff.com; Rushton tailored-fit knitted polo, £245, Orlebar Brown, Jubilee Place; Samson suede leather boot, £865, christianlouboutin.com; Sunglasses, £210, Hugo Boss, Cabot Place; Her: Cracked Earth jacquard shawl, Jacquard knit, Cracked Earth jacquard skirt, Scarf, all POA, marykatrantzou.com; Camellia gold sandals, £345, loefflerrandall.com; Sunglasses, £295, etro.com THIS PAGE: Travis resort shirt, £195, Orlebar Brown, Jubilee Place; High summer monogram shorts, £350, uk.mcmworldwide.com OPPOSITE PAGE: Tonya dress, £1,825, emiliawickstead.com; Embroidered feather trunk, £1,295, Aspinal of London, Cabot Place; Daisy hoop earrings, £452, Rosantica, farfetch.com

Her: Selwood striped mesh coat, £1,795, Tolima seersucker fine crepe dress, £995, rolandmouret.com; Glittertind leather mules, £165, aandreassen.com; Neeson drawstring flamingo calf leather bag, £550, anyahindmarch.com; Him: The Ride leather biker jacket, £2,590, Shirt, £320, Chino trousers, £350, Timeless blue gommino loafers, £485, tods.com

THIS PAGE: Pink dress, £3,990, Antique gold tubular choker, £920, Antique gold and resin butterfly necklace, £1,150, Antique gold and resin hoop earrings, £790, Pink and red leather quilted pouch, £1,550, alexandermcqueen.com OPPOSITE PAGE: Her: [Left] Green printed top, £850, Earrings, £350, Sunglasses, £130, marni.com; Sunday dress, £499, Avto trousers, £360, palmerharding.com; Pack’n’Go collapsible straw hat, £129, lockhatters.co.uk; [Right] White blouse, £930, Green printed coat, £2,380, Earrings, £350, marni.com; Sunglasses, £207, chloe.com; White leather mules, £398, tods.com; Pack’n’Go collapsible straw hat, £129, lockhatters.co.uk; Lydia dominos bag, £195, luluguinness.com; Him: High summer monogram shorts, £350, uk.mcmworldwide.com; White sweatshirt, £153, mansourmartin.com; Diamond denim distressed suede trainers, £650, jimmychoo.com; Sunglasses, £185, Carrera Glory, fashioneyewear.co.uk

THIS PAGE: Her: [Left] Clementina tie dress, £1,595, temperleylondon.com; Elisa sequin and calf leather bag, £1,655, christianlouboutin.com; Haysley flat leather biker boots, £850, jimmychoo.com; Sunglasses, £160, ferragamo.com; [Right] Rosella bird dress, £450, temperleylondon.com; Elisa sequin and calf leather bag, £1,655, christianlouboutin.com; Bren flat black leather biker boots with crystal embellishment, £975, jimmychoo.com; Sunglasses, £160, ferragamo.com; Him: Trousers, £215, Cotton shirt, £300, Leather bomber jacket, £1,645, Paul Smith, Cabot Place; Timeless blue gommino loafers, £485, tods.com OPPOSITE PAGE Otome dress, £2,925, Gretchenne trousers, £1,100, preenbythorntonbregazzi.com; Glittertind leather mules, £165, aandreassen.com; Micro hat boxes, £395 each, Aspinal of London, Cabot Place; Feather necklace, £500, Rosantica, net-a-porter.com Hair & Makeup: Suaad Jeppie @ One League Creative Management Models: Lucky @ D&A Model Management and Collins @ Boss Model Management

VA S H I V A S H I I N C A B O T P L A C E N O T O N LY TA K E S T H E S T R E S S O U T O F F E B R U A RY ’ S M O S T R O M A N T I C D AT E , B U T I T M A K E S GIFTING A PERSONAL PROCESS NO-ONE CAN FORGET

62

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

E

very four years, February’s romantic credentials get cranked up a notch. As well as celebrating Valentine’s Day on the 14th, at the end of the month Leap Day facilitates an extra day in the calendar. An Irish tradition, ‘Bachelor’s Day’ lands on February 29th, when women are encouraged to propose instead of men – outdated, perhaps, but at least you only have to remember your anniversary every four years. (What most people don’t know is that the tradition dictates that, should the man decline, he still has to buy the woman a silk gown or fur coat).

Whether you’re thinking carefully about what to gift your other half on the 14th, getting down on one knee or investing in a timeless piece of jewellery you’ll value for life, VASHI’s Canary Wharf service makes finding the perfect piece a truly special experience in itself. With a workshop in every store, every step of the process is

‘With a workshop in every store, every step of the process is collaborative’

collaborative – you have your say on the design, you can observe the expert craftsmen at work and even take part in the making process – plus, Vashi can document it from start to finish for an extra personal touch. It’s a polished, personal approach to bespoke, and you can book an complimentary in-store session to assess your ideas.

It truly is the thought that counts – a concept that VASHI has distilled with its in-house workshop option. If time is the ultimate luxury, then taking yours creating the perfect gift is as generous as it gets – choose between elegant cocktail rings and platinum bands, halo stud earrings and cluster designs, all set with Vashi’s high-quality, certified, responsibly sourced diamonds. The custom and bespoke processes can be completed in a couple of days, and you can also take your most treasured inheritance jewellery into the store to be turned into something extra-special and completely original that will be a true joy to wear.

Cabot Place; vashi.com

canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

@canarywharflondon

Lou Dalton Lou Dalton’s forte is always the story on which her collections are built. AW20 referenced her father’s Teddy Boy wardrobe of his youth and felt like a love-letter to the British Isles – from tartan coats to fair isle knits, it was patriotic to the last stitch. Unsurprising, seeing as Dalton chose to join forces with two of Britain’s greatest style exports: Derbyshire knitwear label John Smedley – which has been in the woollens game since 1784 – and Gloverall, the creator of the iconic duffle coat, favoured by Second World War Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. Dalton’s fresh take on raglan-sleeve overcoats with reversible hoods married style with function. Ombre mohair, jacquard lambswool and fine-gauge merino knits rounded off the collection with a visually appealing and winter-appropriate note.

The Best of London Fashion Week loudalton.com

M O V E O V E R PA R I S A N D M I L A N , T H E A W 2 0 E D I T I O N O F L F W M P R O V E D T H AT N O O N E D O E S D Y N A M I S M Q U I T E L I K E T H E B R A N D S T H AT S H O W C A S E AT T H E C A P I TA L’ S B I - A N N U A L F A S H I O N W E E K E N D .

M A K E S O M E S PA C E I N Y O U R W A R D R O B E

Men’s WORDS SHANE C. KURUP

STYLE

E. Tautz

Qasimi

Chalayan

Band of Outsiders

Back when designers were still cutting their (skinny) suits close to the bone, it’s fair to say that E. Tautz’s Patrick Grant did much to bring oversized pattern cutting back to the British design table. As a tall, broad guy himself, he appreciates that a skin-tight fit isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The oversized, double-breasted blazers he’s long championed were reinterpreted in aubergine and British heritage checks and were a considerable upgrade from the starchy pinstriped numbers of old. As were the voluminous pleated trousers which were a modern take on the slacks favoured by dandies and students of the 20s. And there was a strong message: 50 per cent of the collection was crafted from repurposed fabrics deposited in recycling banks, with the rest sourced from British mills to support home-grown manufacturers. Grant’s mantra is “buy less, buy well, make do and mend” – a tune we can all hum along to.

Khalid Qasimi, who passed away in July 2019, was a designer of great promise.

This collection, his last before his twin sister took the reins, felt particularly poignant for fans of his artful, forwardthinking reworks of tried and tested classics. For his swansong, he referenced the land of his birth, the United Arab Emirates, with the Qasimi man envisioned as an urban nomad. But make no mistake, there wasn’t a dishdasha in sight. His homeland was evident in the colour palette, which ranged from rich turmeric and myrrh, to arabica and Scarab-beetle black – a homage to the nomadic tribes and desert landscape. Louche, velvet suiting was cut with flair and had more in common with 70s Mick Jagger than traditional Emirate garb.

Handicraft accessories, homespun knits and abstract camouflage prints also maintained a subtle balance between the old Middle East and the 21st century.

Throughout his career, Turkish-Cypriot-born Brit Hussein Chalayan has looked to indigenous cultures for inspiration. For AW20, he turned his creative eye towards Australia and the Orient, utilising patterns of Aboriginal folk songs in fabrics, while drop-shouldered feltedwool coats and capacious trousers took their form from ceremonial and agricultural apparel of the Far East.

The collection’s structured tailoring owed more to sculptural architecture than to traditional draping – which Chalayan refers to as ‘framing’ – a technique that has won the designer industry-wide acclaim since the early 90s. Exaggeratedpleat trousers and oversized blazers imparted a sense of comfort and fluidity. Men sick of squeezing themselves into their slim-cut two-pieces on weekdays are sure to heave a sigh of relief.

Designer Angelo Van Mol has the rare gift of crafting attire that is eclectic yet entirely wearable. Van Mol’s AW20 offering referenced his love of the great outdoors, and, specifically, memories of childhood trips to the forest with friends. The message seemed clear: in the age of climate change, appreciate what you have around you and make the most of it. Cagoules, shirts and chinos – in bold shades which the brand describes as ‘campfire red’ and ‘canoe yellow’ – were given a tongue-in-cheek touch with map sketches and typographic slogans like ‘follow the path that leads astray’. Rugged, lumberjack check overshirts had a tailored polish while neckerchiefs were tied in a Baden-Powell Scout-like fashion. Given that Britain is the most nostalgic nation in the world, it seems apt that the Californian-founded label chose to make London its creative hub.

etautz.com

qasimi.com

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

chalayan.com

bandofoutsiders.com

65

EBO:

THE GAME-CHANGERS SONY WH1000 III HEADPHONES, £265.99 AT EBO

P L U G I N T O T H E L AT E S T I N C U T T I N G - E D G E D E S I G N A N D I N N O VAT I O N S Y O U N E V E R K N E W Y O U N E E D E D F R O M C A N A R Y W H A R F ’ S C O O L E S T T E C H S PA C E

T

he latest tech is now at Canary Wharf’s fingertips – available at EBO’s polished store on South Colonnade. In London’s fintech neighbourhood, a curated product selection is edited for those who work hard and play harder; whose lifestyles rely on innovative technology and seamless interactions. From noise-cancelling headphones that help you focus on your highintensity workout and then drown out the racket on your commute to integrated virtual reality games that you can play with friends and family at home, EBO has got you covered.

Plus, with February 14th approaching, forget the extravagant florist delivery and overpriced chocolates – think outside the box. For the pair that trains together, why not pick up a pair of Series 5 Apple watches for you and your partner? The built-in Proactive Health Monitor tracks heart rate, noise levels and breathing, plus provides visible metrics, water resistance, pace alerts and over 60 million tracks accessible on Apple Music, making for an effortless workout.

Or, stream the song you danced to at your wedding through some of the industry’s leading sound systems: from Master & Dynamic’s ultra-lightweight MW07+ wireless headphones (that come in three different finishes to choose from) to Bang & Olufsen’s satellite-sized A9 speaker from their new Contrast Collection, created in collaboration with Danish design studio Norm Architects, or Jarre’s playful canine-shaped AeroBull HD1. EBO’s showroom also features world-class brands such as Sonos, Sennheiser, GoPro, Google, Acer, Amazon, Oculus, Microsoft, Nintendo, HP, Sony PlayStation, Shure and Bose, immersing visitors in the finest of high-quality audio, smart home products, office essentials and digital entertainment.

FROM TOP: DEVIALET PHANTOM SPEAKERS, £1,790; MASTER & DYNAMIC: MW07+ WIRELESS HEADPHONES, £279.99, ALL AT EBO; BANG & OLUFSEN H9 3RD GENERATION HEADPHONES, £450 AT B&O; APPLE WATCH SERIES 5, £398.99, AT EBO.

South Colonnade; biconic.co.uk/ebo, bang-olufsen.com

canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

@canarywharflondon

COME TO YOUR S EN S ES INSPIRED BY VENICE’S RICH HISTORY OF PERFUME-MAKING, THE LUXURY BRAND MERCHANT OF VENICE OFFERS AN IMMERSIVE BEAUTY EXPERIENCE I N T H E I TA L I A N C I T Y WORDS ANGELINA VILLA-CLARKE

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE SAN FANTIN BOUTIQUE

Y

ou can easily miss the tiny store despite its scarlet-red canopy and the clouds of fragrant air that seem to waft onto the ancient streets. Most visitors to this corner of Venice walk straight past it, heading instead for Campo San Fantin’s most famous landmark – the Gran Teatro La Fenice.

But, singing its own aria to beauty insiders, is this cult perfumery found in the heart of La Serenissima.

Emblazoned “L’arte Profumatoria Veneziana” on its entrance, even the signage does not reveal that this is the flagship store of the artisan perfumery brand known as The Merchant of Venice.

But those in the know have the boutique firmly in their ‘little black books’, secure in the knowledge that here they’ll find an alluring array of covetable perfumes.

Inside, the air is heavy with the aromas of amber, tuberose and musk. Hickory wood-panelling, which lines the circular space, gives a nod back to the store’s roots as an ancient apothecary – dating back to the mid-17th century. Terracotta statues, depicting Botany, Medicine, Surgery, and Physics, look on approvingly.

Neat rows of gleaming bottles – each made in a rainbow of multicoloured glass (from peacock blue to scarlet red) – and adorned with tassels or metal charms, make for treasures you can’t resist.

Despite feeling as though you’ve stepped back to a bygone era, the perfume house was in fact launched in 2011 by the Vidal family, a name which has connections to the Venetian perfume trade for more than 100 years. This sense of history is intentional: the brand was created as an homage to Venice’s pivotal role in the development of perfume. Customers will find an impressive line-up of collections made by master noses who have reinterpreted ancient recipes. Each offers their own back story, rooted in spice routes and ancient craftsmanship, with bottles inspired by Murano glassmaking.

Spritz on the Flower Fusion, for instance, which comes in a heavy glass flacon, pretty with lilac swirls, and you are immediately transported to the Far East. Egyptian muda mingles with Damascus rose to create unique floral accords with hints of exotic spices. It’s just one of seven fragrances from the Murano Collection, conceived to capture the rare ingredients that were originally imported by merchants from the Orient.

The Venezia Essenza Collection, on the other hand, with its dramatic, black bottles featuring a gold ‘tiling’ pattern to portray ancient mosaics, aims to evoke the riches of the watery city. Deep notes of ylang ylang, white peach and petit grain are a perfumer’s way of paying tribute to the cultural heritage of Venice.

The label’s most refined fragrances, all with a high perfume content, are found in the Murano Exclusive Collection. These have all been created by different expert noses with each having a distinct olfactory ‘signature’.

Wannabe perfumers will be also tempted by the burnt-orange bottles that make up the Museum Collection – on display on one of the store’s beautiful antique tables. Devoted to perfume layering, this corner of the shop offers a display of more than 40 single-note scents – think Black Pepper, Frangipani Blossom, White Gardenia and so on – which can be worn alone or spritzed on top of each other to create your own bespoke scent.

When launching the house, the Vidal family did much of its research at the Museum of Palazzo Mocenigo in Venice (mocenigo.visitmuve.it). It was inspired by the way that Venice had a leading role in trade routes in the 15th century. At this time, the Italian Republic became the first real European power, thanks to the naval convoys organised by the Venetian Republic to trade goods from Asia to the European markets. The trade goods included raw materials, spices, and essential oils, all of which entered the West for the first time. This system allowed the development of a rich and valuable perfumery tradition in Venice and it is this that the Merchant of Venice has meticulously researched and based its collections on.

Visitors can now experience the palazzo’s exhibition devoted to the history of perfume and cosmetics. Already housing a textile and costume centre – well-known by leading fashion designers as a source of inspiration – the palazzo also has eight rooms dedicated to the history of fragrance, with original recipes, instruments, rare bottles and ingredients on show.

As well as a concept store on the island of Murano, and nine other outlets across Italy and Dubai, Merchant of Venice is also found in another must-see boutique at Santa Fosca in Venice.

Also carved out of a 17th-century pharmacy, named La Spezieria all’Ercole d’Oro, the shop retains many original features, such as the hand-carved walnut shelves lined with antique majolica jars.

You can peruse the fragrances, like jewels in their hand-blown Murano glass bottles, in the atmospheric wood-panelled space.

The latest development from the company offers even more of an immersive experience. Found at the luxury hotel that is San Clemente Palace Kempinski (kempinski.com) located on the tranquil island of San Clemente, a few minutes’ boat ride from San Marco, is the brand’s first spa. Recently picking up the award for Best Italian & European Hotel Spa at the World Spa Awards 2019, it makes for a cosseting escape from the tourist-throngs in the city.

On offer is a range of sensory experiences featuring precious and perfumed oils which make up the heart of the brand. The Rosa Mocenigo Massage, for instance, is inspired by the fragrance of the same name, and leaves you blissed out and gently scented with the precious rose that dates back to Josephine Bonaparte’s time. The Secrets of Isabella Cortese, meanwhile, is based on an ancient recipe book of cosmetic secrets focusing on the properties of lavender essential oil, which helps to reduce stress.

A must, however, is the ‘Splendor Antiage’ — or gold-mask —facial. Using sheets of fine 24-carat gold leaves, sourced from the Venetian artisan Mario Berta Battiloro, it has an immediate, uplifting effect.Combining the gold leaf with serums, it’s the ultimate lavish treat that leaves your skin radiant and glowing.

Once a former monastery, the hotel is a serene spot away from the bustle of Piazza San Marco. An outdoor swimming pool, grand suites and even its own chapel combine to conjure up the timeless feel that Venice is renowned for. From the elegant gardens – which boast a unique collection of modern art sculptures – you can spot the domes and copulas of the city in the distance, and a whisper of musk is in the air. themerchantofvenice.com

B E AU T Y

THIS PAGE MUSEUM OF PALAZZO MOCENIGO

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

71

THE SPEED TRAIN

THE WORLD’S FASTEST P R O D U C T I O N S U V TA K E S ON THE MOST STORIED T R A I N I N H I S T O R Y: C A N A R Y WHARF MAGAZINE CHASES THE ORIENT EXPRESS ACROSS 3,000 MILES AND EIGHT COUNTRIES IN THE U LT I M AT E G R A N D T O U R WORDS JEREMY TAYLOR

T R AV E L

T

he Orient Express travels 1,400 miles across Europe from Paris to Istanbul once a year on the trip of a lifetime. It follows the original route mapped long before the very first Bentley was built 100 years ago.

Well-heeled travellers would board at Gare de l’Est and luxuriate in Pullman carriages, with waiters catering to their every need. Their berths featured intricate wooden panelling, leather armchairs and the finest champagne on ice.

The Express captured the imagination so comprehensively that it became the subject of countless stories – most famously Murder On the Orient Express,

by Agatha Christie.

The Speed, the latest version of the Bentley Bentayga, is just as thrilling. The Crewe-built people carrier has a top speed of 190mph – that’s 0.5 mph faster than the latest Lamborghini Urus.

As you might expect in a Bentley, the Speed features the best of everything.

Hard-finished wood veneers, carbonfibre trim and the finest hide seats adorn a sumptuous cabin. A solid gold, diamond-encrusted Breitling clock can be yours as a £160,000 option too.

Powered by a six-litre petrol engine, the Speed hits 60mph from standstill in just 3.9 seconds. The twin turbo W12 has been upgraded to 626bhp and shaves 0.2 seconds off the standard Bentayga 0-62mph dash.

The exhausts are snarlier, the

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

The Speed hits 60mph from standstill in just 3.9 seconds suspension firmer and this is the only Bentayga offered with sporty Alcantara trim – although luxury leather hide is available if you prefer.

My travel plan is to leave Paris and follow a high-speed road route to Istanbul, the bridge between Europe and Asia. While the train journeys via Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest, I’m driving to Strasbourg, Salzburg, then south to Belgrade and Sofia, before a final push to Turkey – although as it turns out, I won’t make the final destination by road.

As I leave the French capital, even cool Parisians can’t resist a peek at Bentley’s £182,000-worth of motorised luxury. It could be the vibrant orange

paintwork, but the Bentayga’s robust styling isn’t always well received.

Finding a way out of the city centre from the newly restored Hotel Grand Powers in the 8th arrondissement and onto the Périphérique ring road involves countless pedestrian selfies – plus a paparazzi-style entourage on scooters.

The A4 east to Strasbourg then, is a welcome relief. It’s a chance for the Bentley to do what it does best – stretch its legs and cruise in a straight line for mile after mile. I’m averaging just over 20mpg, not bad for 2.4 tons of handcrafted motor car that barely makes a whisper.

Strasbourg’s 2,000-year-old city centre wasn’t built for cars. The cobbled streets of the old town are sealed off to traffic and the city’s rich architectural heritage is jaw-droppingly beautiful. To avoid the tourist-packed streets, stay at Hôtel Les Haras, a contemporary conversion of the former national stud farm within walking distance.

Salzburg is a nine-hour drive through the Alpine borderlands of Switzerland and Germany, but the Bentley munches 75

BENTLEY BENTAYGA SPEED Price: £182,200 Engine size: 5950cc Cylinders: 12 Power: 626bhp Performance: 0-62mph in 3.9 secs Max speed: 190mph

up vast distances with consummate ease. Only fuel consumption suffers as the roads become more interesting across the mountains. Expect no more than 17mpg on an enthusiastic drive.

The Bentayga corners better than you might expect – for an SUV it’s almost nimble. The steering tightens up at speed and it starts to feel like a proper supercar.

The Bentley is quick, too. Last summer a Speed broke the production car record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in America.

Salzburg was designed for horses and carriages, and, like Strasbourg, is no place for a car. The Bentayga’s air suspension glides across the cobbled streets, however, as concert-goers gather in the Residenzplatz square. This is the perfect location to show off the Bentley’s 20-speaker Naim audio system with The

Sound of Music soundtrack.

There’s no hotel parking in the busy centre, so I wheel my suitcase to Hotel Goldgasse, an atmospheric hotel down a narrow shopping alley near the Domplatz.

The medieval building is packed with character and super-convenient for the city centre.

The next day it’s an eight-hour drive to Belgrade. Judging by the welcome, I’m not sure there are many orange Bentleys in the Serbian capital. The understated Saint Ten Hotel is a 15-minute walk away from the city centre, in a leafy suburb.

The Church of Saint Sava, one of the largest Serbian Orthodox churches in Europe, dominates the skyline and the hotel can arrange tour guides to explain the complicated past and present history of this much misunderstood country.

South of Belgrade the Serbian countryside becomes more undulating and tree-covered than the agricultural northern flatlands. There are long queues at the border into Bulgaria and to use the rugged roads south to Sofia you will need a vignette – a sticker to show that you have paid the correct toll.

The Grand Hotel offers huge suites for reasonable prices. There’s a slightly austere atmosphere that harks back to the

Communist era but the staff are helpful and Gurko Street is a good place to explore on foot.

While Orient Express passengers dine on lobster and caviar, I’m making the best of motorway cafés and service stations. Sadly, the Bentayga doesn’t come with a butler.

The current Orient Express takes a leisurely six days to make the Bosphorus strait and I’m on schedule to beat that – until I receive a phone call telling me I don’t have the correct paperwork to drive the car into Turkey.

I’m only an hour from the border, near the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, last year’s European Capital of Culture. I’m forced to turn abruptly north and head for the Romanian capital of Bucharest instead.

It’s been an exhilarating journey, driving the fastest, most luxurious SUV on the road – well, on Romanian roads for certain. If I were to do the journey again, would I let the train take the strain or choose the Bentayga Speed?

I could live without the orange paintwork, but include a few smoked salmon sandwiches and I’d be happy to struggle by in the Bentley. bentleymotors.com

T R AV E L

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

77

Kids’ Club KEEP DRY AND WARM THIS FEBRUARY HALF TERM WITH COSY CLOTHING AND FUN INDOOR ACTIVITIES WORDS MORAG TURNER

NO SUN BUT PLENTY OF FUN February half term can be one of the trickiest school holidays.

While it’s only one week long, the weather is generally a bit miserable which can rule out playing outside. But that is when parents all over London realise how lucky they are to have one of the greatest selections of indoor activities in world right here on their doorstep.

From exploring the Tower of London with its medieval castle and behind-the-scene tours of Buckingham Palace, to all the fascinating exhibitions to discover at the National History Museum, Science Museum and Imperial War Museum, there are exciting (and warm) places to visit around every corner.

Head to the London Eye for a stunning bird’s-eye view of the capital or down to the London Dungeons for a look at the darker side of the city’s history.

Classic attractions such as Madame Tussauds and the Sea Life London Aquarium never disappoint kids of all ages, or try something different such as a guided bus tour around the sights or a boat trip down the Thames.

To book hundreds of events and plan amazing days out check out the Minimaster section on ticketmaster.co.uk. You’ll find a huge range of options and the site is super-easy to navigate.

There are two guides, one tailored especially for children aged five to eight, while the other will ensure you’re sorted for kids aged eight and above. Everything is covered – theatre, sport, concerts and attractions.

Who needs sunshine when we have all the fun of London to keep the kids entertained all through half term?

THE PERFECT TREAT All kids love toys and chocolate, so a treat from PlayIn Choc is bound to put a smile on their faces.

The creation of a London mum who was determined to find a more healthly option to give her own kids, these organic, dairy-free delicious chocolates are combined with eco-friendly, educational toys all packaged in a beautifully designed box made from 100 per cent recycled, biodegradable card. Each contains responsibly-produced chocolate that is refined sugar and soy free, vegan and kosher, along with a self-assembly toy. playinchoc.com

NEWS

BEDROOMS TO DREAM IN

MAKE IT PERSONAL It’s definitely not time to pack away the warm layers just yet.

For the softest kids’ cashmere check out Baby and Taylor, which allows you to personalise your knit in bright threads with a

name or slogan. These gorgeous sweaters are hand embroidered in Paris and can also come in either matching mummy-and-baby or sibling sizes. Perfect for getting the mini-me look and staying cosy.

What could be cooler than sleeping in your very own VW camper van in your own bedroom? This amazing powder blue design by Circu is modelled on the iconic VW split screen camper van and is kitted out with a bed, a desk, a sofa, a mini fridge and a TV, plus there is plenty of storage.

Made to order from fibreglass and Palisander wood veneer, this bed is truly a work of art – and at £33,140, costs about as much as the real deal.

kidpix.uk

cuckooland.com

SPLASH OUT Be prepared for any weather this spring with Muddy Puddles’s cosy waterproof clothing that is perfect for everyday use. From all-inones that are ideal for younger kids to jackets and wellies for older children, the brand’s colourful designs will brighten up grey days while we wait for the sunshine to appear. muddypuddles.com

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

79

2 0 2 0’ S T O P T E C H PREVIEWED TO MORE THAN 170,000 JOURNALISTS, BUYERS A N D D E L E G AT E S AT C E S , T H E G I A N T C O N S U M E R E L E C T R O N I C SHOW IN LAS VEGAS, THESE ARE THE BEST GADGETS AND E N T E R TA I N M E N T S Y S T E M S AVA I L A B L E T O B U Y T H I S Y E A R WORDS PETER JENKINSON

TECH

MANTA 5 HYDROFOIL BIKE Is it an e-bike? Is it a plane? Is it a boat? Well, we’re told it is all three, a slightly offbeat pedal-powered contraption to get you from some interesting water-based A to B situations.

Essentially, it’ll mimic cycling on water, swapping wheels for hydrofoils or water-wings. It does feature pedal assist technology, so it might not be as physical as you’ll initially think.

LENOVO THINKPAD X1 FOLD Flexible and folding displays have been talked about for some time now, but most have been utterly disappointing — until now. This piece of kit can be used in landscape mode alongside a detachable keyboard or turned 90 degrees to become a portrait portable clamshell style device.

With a robust battery life to boot, this looks like the beginning of the laptop revolution.

HEATBOX If you’re after something healthy which you can make at home or there are simply too many folk waiting in the office microwave line, Heatbox has your back. This pimped up lunchbox is a rechargeable, self-heating device that uses steam to heat up your homemade feast, trapping all the goodness inside simultaneously.

STERN PINBALL – STRANGER THINGS Driving the resurgence of pinball are the team over at Stern, who’ve been plying their trade for decades in a world where its mainly about flying balls around a glass-covered surface with some bumpers and springs.

This Stranger Things-licensed machine adds new features such as a big projector at the centre of play, magnetic fields that pick up the balls and probably the most LED lights we’ve seen on a pinball machine.

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

L’OREAL PERSO The world of skin tech is a fiercely fought one each year and for 2020 it seems that L’Oreal has the upper hand. The brand’s Perso device blends together AI, augmented reality and environmental data to create a personalised skincare regimen. The hardware also impresses and is able to dispense exact amounts of product. Perso can be used to create custom lipstick colours and foundation. It isn’t likely to be around until late this year but when it is it will no doubt perform well as a bathroom declutter device.

81

JUNO CHILLER Presenting the world’s fastest drinks cooler, equipped with the latest technology from the team at Matrix, a materials science company which has developed the thermoelectric technology inside this Juno device. An interesting and speedy way to rapidly chill wine, beer and more, the Juno eliminates the use of harmful refrigerants and saves time getting tepid drinks to their ideal temperature.

TOWNEW TRASHCAN This smart rubbish bin helps with the unpleasant elements of what is perhaps the world’s most tedious task. The self-sealing bin ties up your rubbish bag when full, opens up the top for removal and then pulls in a new bag to start the process again.

MEDWAND Incorporating 10 of the most used diagnostic devices in a single palm-sized gadget, the Medwand can send results, via the internet, to your doctor anywhere in the world for examination. This telemedic device looks like a real gamechanger and was an innovation award winner at CES. There are several devices in the range, from a homebased unit to one used for military purposes. Each is capable of offering information on your vital organs, an ear, throat and nose test and to send skin scans to your doctor for remote diagnosis.

PANASONIC UHD VR GLASSES As the VR market continues to grow, the size of the headsets are starting to shrink. Panasonic’s lightweight set maintains image quality and enhances audio with a pair of built-in earbuds.

TECHNICS EAH-AZ70W SAMSUNG Q950TS QLED 8K It’s all about the outer-frame on TV sets this year with less being very much more in the TV game. Samsung has laid down the gauntlet; at CES, the brand showed off this new model boasting a near infinity edge-to-edge display. This 82-inch set leverages the power of enhanced artificial intelligence technology to improve audio, video and smart capabilities. A bunch of features including voice commands, Digital Butler and Samsung Health put this TV in top slot — for now.

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

Panasonic-owned audiophile brand Technics has made an appearance in the crowded wireless earbuds game. By taking its time entering the fray, the brand has managed to create a pair of highly-tuned sound delivery systems. They have superb noise cancellation, are splash resistant and have six hours of battery life — the charging case, however, extends this to a further 18 hours.

83

the

RICH LIST 50 luxury holidays that will enrich your life

Out now Order your free book now carrier.co.uk/richlist

Search Carrier Holidays

TRAVEL

The Setai, Miami Beach Asian hospitality awaits at the seriously cool Setai Hotel in South Beach Miami. Celebrities flock here as do families and those looking for eco-friendly wellness breaks. New to the famous spa are treatments from Valmont, the luxury French skincare brand. thesetaihotels.com

Putting India’s ancient practice of Ayurveda to the test in Goa and Dehli (P.86)

An Art Deco swimming pool in Paris is revived as a chic hotel (P.94)

A converted church-turnedCotswold retreat (P.100)

CA LM b e fore t h e

STOR M THERE’S NO BETTER PLACE THAN INDIA TO EXPERIENCE THE A N C I E N T P R A C T I C E O F AY U R V E D A .

IN GOA AND DELHI, ME-TIME IS EVEN BETTER WHEN THE SUN DOESN’T SHINE WORDS ANGELINA VILLA-CLARKE

On Arrosim beach, the sky looms large and is heavy with ominous, cumulous clouds.

The once calm waves take a dramatic turn and start to crash wildly on the shoreline and the air is suddenly unbearably close.

It’s time to go back inside.

September – the cusp of India’s monsoon season – might bring unpredictable weather conditions not best suited for a beach holiday, but, it turns out, these stormy days are perfect for an immersive dive into the ancient healing art of ayurveda.

When the sun does decide to make an appearance at Goa’s newest opening – the ITC Grand Goa, a Luxury Collection Resort – its pink sandstone architecture positively gleams and the wide, white-sandy beach it faces is irresistible for those after some sun worshipping. The resort is built to resemble a traditional Portuguese village – a nod to the long Portuguese history of Goa – and, so, you meander around the rambling resort, over quaint bridges and across characterful ‘squares’ with their tinkling fountains and tiled benches. Bedrooms are inspired by typical pousadas and have a colonial feel with imposing, carved wooden beds, hardwood floors, crisp white linen and floaty drapes. Marble bathrooms have palatial, spa-style baths, and each room also makes the most of the beach location, with its own private garden or terrace, so you can breathe in the sea air.

Found in Cansaulim, South Goa, the resort sits in 45 acres of gardens with towering coconut palms punctuating the skyline, and exotic blooms to scent its walkways. For those interested in learning more about the area’s native plants, there’s a resident naturalist to take you on guided trails around the lush grounds during which you can swot up on the local botanic wonders. Meanwhile, a lavish, multi-tiered pool – one of the largest in India – is just the thing for lingering swims when it gets too humid.

Exploring the colourful streets of the Fontainhas area of Panjim, the capital of the state of Goa, is also a must.

A 40-minute drive away, it is lined with rainbow-hued cottages; squat houses, painted candy pink or cobalt blue; and pristine white chapels. In fact, the cobbled lanes of this Latin Quarter are preserved as part of a protected heritage zone, and a charming place to wander around, discovering art shops, browsing the boutiques, and stopping for a cup of chai in one of the old-style cafés.

When the rain begins to fall, it’s time to head back to the resort’s Kaya Kalp Royal Spa for some refuge. A Sanskrit word, ‘Kaya Kalp’ means the rejuvenation of body, mind and soul, and the barefoot-chic wellness-hub does this through an amazing array of traditional Indian therapies.

Rooted in the belief that ill health is a result of an imbalance in the body’s internal energies (the doshas), ayurveda dates back many thousands of years. The basic principle is that a symptom of ill health is your body’s way of saying that you are out of balance. Restore balance, and your body will find a way to heal.

Hard-core ayurvedic practitioners swear by deep-cleansing therapies, known as panchakarma, as the first step. Said to reset the body, the purging treatments improve energy levels, digestion and restore vitality. Not for the faint-hearted, you’ll spot a range

of these authentic practices on the menu. Snehapanam, for instance, involves the ritualistic drinking of medicated ghee, as the first process of purification. There’s also a purging treatment, called Virechanam, which has a laxative effect; Nasyam, during which medicated oil is infused into the nose (said to help migraines); and Vamana, the therapeutic inducing of vomiting.

It’s a far cry from a pampering facial.

For those after something, er, a little more cosseting, there’s a long list of blissful therapies to choose from. These may have more of a ‘softly softly’ approach, but they remain nonetheless rooted in traditional know-how. The Synchronised Abhyanga, for instance, is a de-stressing massage performed by two therapists using long strokes and medicinal herbal oils. It’s spinetingling relaxing. The Shirodhara Therapy, meanwhile, aims to unblock deep-rooted tension by using a flow of warm oil poured continuously on the forehead – a weirdly hypnotic sensation – said to rejuvenate the energy systems and which leaves you feeling miraculously ‘light’ and uplifted.

The monsoon time of year positively enhances the experience of ayurveda: the humidity helps to open pores and soften the skin, thus allowing the oil-based treatments to have a greater effect.

The weather also means you’ll simply end up doing less, and so you are already well on the road to being ‘switched-off’, helping with the greater aim of rechannelling energy. And, of course, there’s the sound of the pitter patter of rain falling, which does more to soothe your soul than any ‘chill-out’ spa soundtrack.

The signature Pomegranate Ritual is a real highlight and starts with a pomegranate scrub, mixed with organic brown sugar, to gently exfoliate. Indigenous essential oils are then dripped over your body and massaged in. If you thought it couldn’t get more delicious, then you’ll be further wowed once the head and then the Indian foot massage starts (both a speciality here) so that by the end of it, you’re practically walking on air.

Also transformative are the yoga and meditation offerings, which take place in the gardens under the fronds of the palm trees. The Kati Raksha Yoga aids posture and strengthens the lower back, while Trataka is a specialised meditation practice during which you gaze at the flame of a candle – letting your mind wander free.

Adding to these affecting experiences is the nourishing dining across six different restaurants. Putting breakfast as a focus,

XXXXX

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE ITC GRAND GOA

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

89

the resort offers what they call ‘signature mornings’ made up of dishes which are based on superfoods, but which, thankfully, don’t scrimp on taste – there are wheatgrass and mint shots, multigrain dosas, almond-meal pancakes with aloe vera and blackcurrant chutney and seven-grain porridge.

For lunch, you might pop into Ottimo for some Italian flavours – try the mushroom or goat’s cheese croquette or the Goan prawns with vegetable caponata. Goan restaurant Tempero showcases Indo-Portuguese cuisine and will have you swooning over okra curries and locally-sourced fresh Pomfret fish stuffed with Recheaido masala. Kebabs & Kurries, meanwhile, is inspired by ancient local recipes – the black lentil dahl and the Jhinga Hara Masala made with fresh bay prawns – are not to be missed.

After you’ve discovered your own Nirvana, you can make sure it lasts a little longer by making a pitstop, en route home, at the resort’s sister property, just outside of Delhi. Found in Gurgaon, south-west of the city, the ITC Grand Bharat, a Luxury Collection Retreat, is an opulent homage to Indian architectural styles throughout the ages. It’s also home to one of the region’s most noted spas. While the elegant rooms and presidential villas, with their grand interiors, immaculate grounds and formal dining will impress, it’s at the spa where you’ll really lose your mind.

Carved out of various rooms – fashioned like temples to

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE ITC GRAND BHARAT

wellbeing – The Royal Spa is located across the top floor of the hotel, and its authentic holistic treatments will bring a sense of serenity. There are pummelling massages to mend any slouching from too much time at a computer, bespoke rejuvenating ‘journeys’ based on your ‘dosha’ (identified by an ayurvedic doctor) and signature treatments, such as the Passage to India.

This uses local herbs and spices, includes a guided meditation, Abhyanga massage and a body exfoliation using mung beans.

Factor in the Swasthya Cuisine – a speciality of the resort – which delves back in time to borrow from age-old principles of Indian cookery to enhance wellbeing – and your transformation to the new you will be complete. The menu features ancient grains, seasonal and farm fresh vegetables, cold pressed indigenous oils and no refined flours or sugars – all said to calm the mind, enhance memory and slow down the effects of ageing.

Each night, guests can also take part in an evening ritual to say thanks for another day spent on earth. It’s easy to agree.

Stays at ITC Grand Goa, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, start from £143 per room per night and from £228 per room per night at ITC Grand Bharat, a Luxury Collection Retreat, both including breakfast, itchotels.in

T R AV E L

The Royal Spa’s authentic holisitc treatments will bring a sense of serenity

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

91

5.8 - THE WORLD´S MOST BEAUTIFUL ALL-GLASS UNDERSEA RESTAURANT

Hurawalhi Island Resort . Tel +960 662 2000 . reservations@hurawalhi.com . hurawalhi.com

HUR_KUD_Canary Wharf Magazine.indd 1

MALDIVES´ NO 1 PRIVATE ISLAND RESORT THE ONLY ALL-INCLUSIVE: ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

Kudadoo Private Island . Tel +960 662 2000 . reservations@kudadoo.com . kudadoo.com

2020-01-13 11:12

A BI GGE R

SPL ASH PA R I S ’ S FA M O U S P I S C I N E M O L I T O R , A N A R T D E C O M A S T E R P I E C E , IS REBORN AS A LOFTY HOTEL WITH A DESIGN SENSITIVE TO ITS H E R I TA G E A N D A B O U N T I F U L A R T C O L L E C T I O N T O B O O T WORDS MARIE LUNN

Y

ou’ve probably heard of the Parisian Piscine Molitor without knowing it. In Life of Pi, Yann Martel’s awardwinning novel, which was made into the smash-hit film of the same name in 2012, the eponymous hero Piscine Patel is named after the Art Deco swimming pool.

His father tells him he chose the name because he “wanted his soul to be as clean as the pool’s water”. Piscine, embarrassed by his quirky name, shortens it to Pi. Once upon a time everyone who was anyone frequented the Piscine Molitor. Tucked away in Paris’s leafy, genteel 16th arrondissement, France’s most famous and magnificent Art Deco swimming baths opened its doors in 1929.

Conceived of by architect Lucien Pollet as part of France’s decade-long ‘bathing houses’ project during the 1920s, Piscine Molitor was designed to be transseasonal, with both a summer and winter pool. Pollet designed the lido to look like the deck of a cruise liner, while the indoor pool was surrounded by tiers of bathing cabins underneath an imposing glass roof.

When the pools first opened, socialites flocked, as much to swim and sunbathe as to pose and be seen amid the restaurants, tobacco shops and salons. Such was its allure that five times Olympic gold swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, who went on to become a famous actor during the 1930s and 40s, was invited to the opening and employed for the season as a lifeguard. Yes,

Tarzan himself gave swimming lessons and kept an eye on bathers during that first summer of 1929.

In later years, the pool bore witness to fashion history in the making: on 1 July 1946, French designer Louis Réard, owner of a lingerie boutique near the Folies Bergères, unveiled the first bikini here.

In 1989, Molitor shut its doors for what should have been the last time. The complex had fallen into disrepair. Proving too costly for the city of Paris to maintain, it was closed to make way for a housing development. A public outcry saved it. Molitor was classified as a historic Parisian building and protected from demolition.

Abandoned but not unloved, it became a hangout for urban artists, ravers and skateboarders. From 1989 to 2014, then unknown artists such as Kashink, Katre, Jace, Reso and Shaka used the site as a blank canvas, breathing new life into the space. Photographers began to document the artists’ work.

Suddenly the property became hip again as a backdrop for concerts, parties and photoshoots.

Eventually the site was put out to tender and transformed back to its former glory, reopening in May 2014 as Hôtel Molitor Paris by MGallery,

Molitor became a hangout for urban artists part of the AccorHotels group.

Much of the building had to be rebuilt; only its south-facing side and the entrance at 2 Avenue de la Porte de Molitor could be saved. There was also longstanding chlorine corrosion, but extensive work has gone into restoring its yellow-blue colour scheme, mosaics and stained-glass windows. The result is stunning.

The original Art Deco stained glass friezes from renowned glassmaker Louis Barillet are still visible in the resident restaurant, too. They depict skaters, bathers, boats and skiers, and were found hidden within the walls when the property was being rebuilt.

Inside the hotel, 124 sleek rooms overlook the pool, designed by architect Jean-Philippe Nuel and blending in seamlessly with the original design, complete with stylish furniture, Clarins toiletries,

T R AV E L

Nespresso machines and Dyson hairdryers. There’s also a gym, Clarins spa, hammam, sauna and tea and reading rooms.

The rooftop bar, from which you can spot the canopy of the neighbouring Roland Garros stadium, host to the French Tennis Open, attracts a varied clientele of guests and locals with dishes such as king crab salad, spiced shrimps and burgers. The main restaurant, again open to passing Parisians for breakfast and dinner, is chic and sumptuous. Both offer an excellent reasonably-priced children’s menu (including a strawberry juice proclaimed “the best thing I’ve ever tasted” by my nine-year-old.

High praise indeed).

Without a doubt the summer pool is the highlight of the hotel, which remains loyal to the original blue-yellow colour scheme and restored balustrades. Navy and white striped towels are freely available pool-side and guests travel the lifts from room to pool or room to spa in their robes and slippers.

It is an exclusive club. Here, there’s no jockeying for a spot around the pool. Only hotel guests routinely use it these days — a change in direction that has upset some Parisians. Piscine Molitor was never free, but now you will need a spare €3,300 to join as an annual club member, or pay a minimum of €290 to have a treatment in the spa, which would grant access to the facilities.

As a visitor you should lap it up as much as you can, literally.

Don’t miss the changing cabins around the winter pool, which act as a Who’s Who of modern and street artists who hail from as far afield as New York. Many of those who found a spiritual home in the abandoned site have been granted creative rein with the cabins. Behind each door is a different design. We spent a

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF HÔTEL MOLITOR PARIS

BY MGALLERY, ©SEBASTIEN GIRAUD

glorious morning exploring them all and scanning the QR codes on the doors to learn more, from Katre’s bathing suit man to Jace’s cartoon swimmers and Fred Calmets’ bandaged woman (not for the faint of heart if you open the door unexpectedly).

‘PoolArtLife’ is the hotel's motto and modus operandi — there are even maps in the rooms to guide visitors through the extensive art offering. In a nod to its ‘saviours’, the venue also hosts regular exhibitions from local artists. The aim is to create a lasting narrative of the pool’s 85-year transformation.

Molitor feels like a living, breathing celebration of others who enjoyed it before you — and those who will no doubt embrace it long after.

Marie and family stayed in a Deluxe Room, suitable for a family of three (two adults and one child), starting from €324 including breakfast and taxes. City tax excluded. Family Classic Rooms suitable for a family of four (two adults and two children) are also available, mgallery.accor.com

GET THERE Travelling to Paris via Eurostar with a teenager and a nine-year-old may sound like a stressful experience, but my journey was refreshingly relaxed and pampered. After a speedy checkin via the fast-tracked, Business Premier Lounge, we enjoyed a cooked breakfast by Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc onboard the train, before arriving in the French capital in less than two and a half hours. C’est bon!

Eurostar operates up to 19 daily services from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare Du Nord with one-way fares starting from £29.

Fastest London-Paris journey time is 2hr 15 minutes. Tickets are available from eurostar.com or 03432 186 186

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

97

The Suite Life N E A R LY 9 0 Y E A R S S I N C E I T O P E N E D I T S DOORS, THE DORCHESTER REMAINS A KEY P L AY E R I N L O N D O N ’ S L U X U R Y H O T E L S C E N E – AND A TRANQUIL SPOT IN WHICH TO ESCAPE THE BUSTLE OF CITY LIFE WORDS NATASHA AFXENTIOU

A

s a Londoner, I’ve often believed tranquility was best sought beyond the M25, which invariably meant travelling for hours along Britain’s arterial motorways and ending up in a secluded part of the countryside.

Never did I think the city I call home, so often associated with the hard to escape hustle and bustle, could feel so peaceful.

That was until my recent stay at The Dorchester. From the very start of my visit, the exceptional staff set the tone for what I soon realised would be an unforgettable getaway. They were friendly, efficient and offered the highest standard of customer service I have ever received, as no question was too silly and no request too much trouble.

One of London’s most revered hotels, The Dorchester is housed in a beautiful Grade-II listed Art Deco building perched on one of the most exclusive thoroughfares in the city, Park Lane.

Since it opened its doors in 1931, the hotel has been synonymous with luxury in the capital and nearly 90 years later it remains just as exceptional.

My suite was testament to this. The decor was grand yet elegant and embodied a classic English style, with a stunning view of Hyde Park to boot. The ensuite bathroom, which was shrouded in Italian marble, housed an oversized bathtub so deep it verged on plunge pool territory. A gargantuan four-poster bed was too good not to test immediately, and the plump, linenwrapped pillows did not disappoint.

The hotel boasts six restaurants and my partner and I were fortunate enough to try two of them. In the evening, we dined at China Tang, where we enjoyed fresh, authentic Cantonese food. Spoiled for choice, we opted for the tasting menu and devoured lamb, chicken and beef dumplings before tucking into the restaurant’s signature dish, peking duck – sliced and served alongside crispy skin, there’s a reason it is so renowned.

The following day, we had lunch at The Grill, which specialises in fine British dishes. Head chef Tom Booton was as friendly as his attentive staff and introduced himself to us, explaining his modern vision for the restaurant. We enjoyed Herdwick rack of lamb and ribeye steak before indulging in sweet treats served at the resident dessert bar. My banoffee tart with roasted banana ice cream was made in front of me in an engaging showcase of culinary talent.

Bellies full and food comas setting in, we chose not to venture outside but instead to make the most of the resident spa.

Designed in homage to the hotel’s 1930s roots – think opulent pearl chandeliers and sumptuous velvet drapes – The Dorchester

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

Since it opened its doors in 1931, The Dorchester has been synonymous with luxury Spa provides the perfect setting in which to relax. Award-winning facialist Adeela Crown has recently joined for a residency, and I couldn’t miss the chance to try her signature Crowning Glowry facial, a treatment inspired by the pre-red carpet glow-ups Crown offers her celebrity clientele. The treatment involved eight different skin technologies and left my face feeling deeply hydrated and looking bright.

Despite the vibrant streets of London lying just outside the hotel doors, the calming surrounds of The Dorchester made for a romantic retreat, during which I felt at home in the very best way thanks to the warm atmosphere and exceptional service.

From fine dining to a relaxing spa experience, it was clear that paradise can be found in London. I’m already counting down the days until I return.

From £420 for a Deluxe Queen Room, 53 Park Lane, W1K, dorchestercollection.com 99

Th e Re c tor y SET ON THE EDGE OF THE COTSWOLDS, THIS COUNTRY HOTEL BLENDS ELEGANCE AND ECCENTRICITY WORDS ANNA PRENDERGAST

T R AV E L

I

f it weren’t for glimpsing a Norman church at the end of Flisteridge Road (which, during spring, sees the adjacent forest floor become a sea of bluebells), I may not have found The Rectory. There’s just one sign, easily missed, and the only indication that there’s something out of the ordinary beyond the gravel driveway is a discreet sceptre-like symbol either side of the entrance. It used to be an ‘R’, but I prefer it this way – guests feel like one of the lucky few in the know, and nod conspiratorially to each other in the corridors.

Despite a feeling of exclusivity, The Rectory has retained a feeling of home – albeit that of your poshest aunt. It was originally built to accommodate Crudwell’s rector and his 14 children (no wonder he turned to God), and owner and first-time hotelier Alex Payne has also instilled a sense of domesticity in the digs.

Families with young kids are welcome, as are dogs, and on a high-capacity evening you get the sense that everyone treats the place like their own. There’s an honesty bar on the second floor, where you can enjoy the adult version of a midnight feast or collect fresh milk for a morning brew in bed. Regulars plan visits around the availability of their favourite rooms; dogs curl up by the fireplaces.

It’s not all tweed sofas and black labs, though. The Rectory’s art collection, in particular, prevents it from sinking into stuffy-country-sober. A print in the conservatory entitled The Tems by Bob and Roberta Smith is a favourite of art dealer Angus Maguire. “The brief Alex gave me was for a private country house.

We wanted it to look like the art had been cobbled together over generations,” Maguire explains. “I loved the bright colours of The Tems, the wry phonetic misspelling that winks at Estuary English, and the fact that the hotel is about seven miles from the Thames headwater. It’s one of those pieces that throws out a question, but doesn’t provide an answer.”

You’ll also spot a Tracey Emin in the bar and a Chapman brothers pen-and-ink piece in the restaurant. “It’s quite a disturbing image, juxtaposed in such a polite space. I think that kind of sums up British contemporary art, though – contradictory, playful, with a dark side.”

Hung in an 18th century silver gilt frame, LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

it is a piece you’d be forgiven for missing, especially while distracted by the menu.

It’s meat-heavy (partridge with hasselback potatoes; venison; braised ox cheek) but we went off-menu and were pleasantly surprised by a chicory salad with knobs of roquefort and sashimi-thin slices of pear, plus a velvety celeriac soup with Welsh rarebit (a great improvement on the standard crouton that should be universally adopted), and ribbons of hand-rolled pappardelle with mushroom, walnut and gouda topped with crispy tarragon. Breakfast is served in the conservatory, with bubbles on ice and DIY Bloody Marys balanced with homemade granola and farm-fresh yoghurt. Those in search of hearty rural fare will also like sister restaurant the Potting Shed, a few minutes’ walk away.

Retiring upstairs, you realise how busy the hotel can be – non-guests come for supper and stay for cocktails, and there’s a constant stream of music in every communal space. The bedrooms, by contrast, are deliciously quiet – the faint sound of footsteps (or the odd Mercedes G-Class) on the gravel outside is the only noise to slip through. Traditionalists won’t like the baths in bedrooms, but romantics will find the roll-top tubs hard to resist. There’s no information in the bedrooms, no phone, no written rules or regulations – distancing The

Rectory further from the hotel template.

The WiFi password drily tells you to ‘goforawalkinstead’, but we preferred sitting in the lobby and people watching, peeping out over the top of a glossy, the latest of which are spread out for perusal.

That said, it’s worth a wander round the property, particularly in the evening light when the oolitic limestone is at its best.

From £130 for a double room, including breakfast, therectoryhotel.com

HOW TO GET HERE The train from Paddington to Kemble takes 1 hour 12 minutes WHAT TO BRING Aspirin to wash down with your Bloody Marys — the bar can get raucous at weekends WHAT TO WEAR Your polo club’s hoodie and knee-high boots WHERE TO GO Tetbury nearby is brilliant for antiques. Kids will love the town’s Blue Zucchini brasserie for its scribbled-on walls and Nepalese prayer flags

101

What’s on at CANARY WHARF Squash Classic 2020 Sunday 8 March-Friday 13 March Doors open at 5pm (1pm on Sunday 8); match times vary East Wintergarden The 17th edition of this PSA World Tour Gold event takes place in the heart of Canary Wharf at the fabulous East Wintergarden this March. The beautiful glass atrium of the East Wintergarden will set the scene for the world’s greatest squash players to test their talent and skill against each other and compete for the title of Canary Wharf Classic champion.

Paul Coll became the first New Zealander to win the title in March 2019, beating Egypt’s Tarek Momen in the final, and the world’s leading stars are once again lined up to provide some explosive action in this PSA World Tour Gold event. This year the event will have brand new title partner in the form of St. James’s Place Wealth Management.

A relatively new tenant to Canary Wharf, their office at 40 Bank Street is less than a squash ball hit from the East Wintergarden and their involvement highlights their desire to add value to the Canary Wharf community.

Tim Garner, founder of Eventis Sports Marketing, explains what makes the event so exciting for the estate.

For those who aren’t familiar, can you tell us exactly what this event is about? The Canary Wharf Squash Classic is a PSA Gold Level professional squash event featuring players ranked in the top 40 in the world. It takes place on a portable all glass court that takes approximately two days to build and enables fans to view from 360 degrees around the court.

What’s the highlight of the event? The event has always sought to be more than just a squash event, so that squash fans can introduce newcomers to the sport and have an enjoyable evening watching world class athletes. There is a mix of attendees from people who work at Canary Wharf to groups from squash clubs who make an annual pilgrimage to the event. It’s renowned for being sold out all week and having an enthusiastic but knowledgeable crowd, that the players really appreciate playing in front of. The main bulk of tickets sold out in just six days, but there will be a small amount released in early February and available via the website, www.canarywharfsquash.com.

PAUL COLL AND TAREK MOMEN IN THE 2019 FINAL

What makes Canary Wharf the perfect venue?

The glass structure means spectators have a great view and they’re so close to the action – it makes for a fantastic atmosphere.

How will it affect commuters and locals?

Although the event attracts around 600 fans per day, most travel via public transport and in the opposite direction to the commuter flow so the event doesn’t tend to impact locals daily lives.

Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Ticket hotline: 0844 8472419.

To join the waiting list for returns, email cw@eventis-sports.com.

Find more info at www.canarywharfsquash.com.

What’s on at CANARY WHARF Cubitt Town Junior School: An Art Project for Article 25

UNDERWATER MIX-UP BY AAMILAH, SEVEN YEARS OLD. “I WAS INSPIRED BY MY EXPERIENCE OF LIVING ON THE ISLAND AND ALL OF MY IDEAS CAME FROM MY HEAD. ART IS MY THING!”

Sports Personality of the Year Awards

CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY AT ARTICLE 25’S PROJECT FOR COLLÈGE HAMPATÉ BÂ, NIGER

KARISSA HO, LAST YEAR’S WINNER

Tuesday 9 April East Wintergarden

ARTISTS IN THE MAKING AT CUBITT TOWN JUNIOR SCHOOL

Nominations are now open for Canary Wharf Group’s Annual SPOTY awards, which celebrate the best local sporting talent, deserving local athletes, sports clubs and volunteers for their achievements over the past year. Nominate your favourite individual or team now to be sure they’re in with a chance of winning. Categories include Sports Personality, Junior Team, Senior Team, Group and Voluntary Commitment.

For a nomination form please visit www.canarywharf.com.

Alternatively email melanie.goldstein@canarywharf.com or call 020 7537 5123.

She Can Be Community Gallery, Canada Place Exhibitions by local arts projects Until Monday 9 March Children from Cubitt Town Junior School on the Isle of Dogs have collaborated with architecture charity Article 25 on a special art project. All the children, who have grown up locally, used the brief to explore what makes a place feel like ‘home’; not just spatially but in terms of colours, shapes and smells.

Varying from abstract to realistic, their pictures tell a story of the Isle of Dogs from the perspective of their lives at the feet of its skyscrapers. Exhibited to great acclaim at the charity’s ‘10x10: Isle of Dogs’ art auction fundraiser in November 2019, the 12 pictures have been made into a calendar for 2020, available for £20 through Article 25 (info@article-25.org).

Part of the V&A Ribeiro Community Arts Project.

Thursday 13 February East Wintergarden As corporate partners of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, Canary Wharf Group and other companies will be hosting groups of young women at their offices to empower them to make informed decisions about their careers – framing the City and Canary Wharf as not only a viable, but an exciting option for them.

The morning session will involve mock interviews, networking, and stimulating challenges for the students to explore different industries. The afternoon session at the East Wintergarden, led by The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, will be an opportunity for the young women to interrogate a panel of senior leaders about their careers.

Visit www.thelordmayorsappeal.org/a-skilled-city/shecan-be for more information.

TO READ TO MORE READ TO ARTICLES READ MORE TO MORE ARTICLES READ LIKE ARTICLES MORE THIS LIKE ARTICLES VISIT THIS LIKEVISIT THIS LIKE VISIT THI READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS VISIT TOTO READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS VISIT LIKE THIS LIKE VISIT THIS LIKEVISIT THIS LIKE VISIT THI TO READ TO MORE READ TOwww.luxurylondon.co.uk ARTICLES READ MORE TO MORE ARTICLES READ ARTICLES MORE ARTICLES www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk LIKE THIS VISIT READ MORE ARTICLES www.luxurylondon.co.uk LIKE THIS VISIT TOTO READ MORE ARTICLES www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk TO READ TO MORE READ TO ARTICLES READ MORE TO MORE ARTICLES READ LIKE ARTICLES MORE THIS LIKE ARTICLES VISIT THIS LIKEVISIT THIS LIKE VISIT THI READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS VISIT TOTO READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS VISIT www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk www.luxurylondon.co.uk

@luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial   @theofficialll @luxurylondonofficial  @theofficialll  @theoffici  @luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial @theofficialll @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial  @theofficialll @luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial   @theofficialll @luxurylondonofficial  @theofficialll  @theoffici  @luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial @theofficialll @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial  @theofficialll

@luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial   @theofficialll @luxurylondonofficial  @theofficialll  @theoffici  @luxurylondonofficial @luxurylondonofficial @theofficialll @luxurylondonofficial  @luxurylondonofficial  @theofficialll

NEWS WOOD WHARF WELCOMES FIRST RESIDENTS

T

his February, Canary Wharf Group welcomes the first occupants of 10 George Street in Wood Wharf, the Estate’s newest district. 10 George Street is the first completed development by Vertus, Canary Wharf Group’s new build-to-rent company. “There is no other place to me in London which can boast such high-quality convenience,” says new resident Martin. “I am two minutes away from everything I need… and experiencing a hotel living style where you can call upon Vertus for pretty much anything is super appealing.” As part of ‘Club Vertus’, residents will be able to access amenities such as a self-service bar, private event spaces and a south-facing garden terrace, plus a studio gym and two guest suites. As well as becoming home to more residential spaces, retail units and offices, Wood Wharf will also boast nine acres of green space. “With all of the amenities, events and first-class services available to residents, we expect a diverse community to quickly develop,” says Alastair Mullens, Head of Vertus.

The studio to three-bedroom apartments at the 327-unit building are available to rent. Apartments at 10 George Street are available to view now and apartments will start from £1,950 per calendar month. For more information, visit thisisvertus.com or contact leasing@thisisvertus.com.

Canary Wharf-January 2019 edition-Maxlight.indd 1

12/12/2018 2:00 pm

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MANDEEP AUTHI (@MANI.AUTHI)

PROPERTY

CITY LIVING YOUR GUIDE TO THE FINEST HOMES IN THE CAPITAL

1 2

3 ZEALAND ROAD, BOW E3

W

onderfully bespoke period home in the Chisenhale Conservation area.

Renovated with sensitivity and incredible attention to detail, which is close to Victoria Park and the Hertford Union Canal. Refurbished and extended by award winning architects practice, Chris Dyson architects.

4 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | W E S T FA C I N G L A N D S C A P E D G A R D E N O P E N P L A N E N T E R TA I N I N G S PA C E | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 , 5 1 2 S Q F T | E P C D C A N A R Y W H A R F S TAT I O N 2 . 2 M I L E S | B O W R O A D S TAT I O N 1 . 3 M I L E S

Guide price ÂŁ1,650,000 Freehold Knight Frank Canary Wharf lee.oneill@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6112

knightfrank.co.uk

1 2

3

GEORGE STREET, CANARY WHARF E14

A

range of professionally managed apartments within 10 George Street.

This development is situated in the new district, Wood Wharf. These apartments includes a private residents lounge, private dining room, gym studio and a self-service bar.

1 - 2 B E D S | 1 - 2 B AT H R O O M S | R E C E P T I O N R O O M | F U R N I S H E D B Y C A M E R I C H 2 4 H O U R C O N C I E R G E S E R V I C E S | AVA I L A B L E F U R N I S H E D O R U N F U R N I S H E D A P P R O X I M AT E LY 4 5 8 S Q F T | J U B I L E E L I N E U N D E R G R O U N D S TAT I O N 0 . 2 M I L E S

Prices from £462 per week Available with Zero Deposit Guarantee Knight Frank Canary Wharf christopher.paxton@knightfrank.com 020 3461 5890

knightfrank.co.uk

All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent and the deposit, an administration fee of £288 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property (if not an AST). (All fees shown are inclusive of VAT.) If the landlord agrees to you having a pet, you may be required to pay a higher deposit (if not an AST) or higher weekly rent (if an AST). Please ask us for more information about other fees that will apply or visit www.knightfrank.co.uk/tenantfees.

BUILDING

L A U N C H I N G S AT U R D AY 1 5 T H F E B R U A R Y DISCOVER THIS UNIQUE NEW RESIDENCE AND EXCEPTIONAL LIFEST YLE Situated at the heart of Royal Arsenal Riverside, Building 10 combines striking modern architecture with historic surroundings, and a stunning setting in the landscaped Windsor Square. Residents will enjoy views over and access to this vibrant piazza with its colonnade of shops, cafés and restaurants, all set around a unique open atrium.

There are superb transport connections into central London on your doorstep, set to be further enhanced by the forthcoming Crossrail, while the luxurious residents’ only Waterside Club takes care of all your health, fitness and wellbeing needs.

1 , 2 & 3 B E D R O O M A PA R T M E N T S F R O M £48 5,0 00 * ROYAL ARSENAL WOOLWICH

CANARY WHARF 7 MINUTES^

WHITECHAPEL 11 MINUTES^

royalarsenalriverside.co.uk

LIVERPOOL STREET 14 MINUTES^

FARRINGDON 16 MINUTES^

020 3925 1557

BOND STREET 21 MINUTES^

PADDINGTON 25 MINUTES^

HEATHROW T5 56 MINUTES^

Sales & Marketing Suite Open 10am to 6pm (Thursdays until 8pm) Imperial Building, No. 2 Duke of Wellington Avenue, Royal Arsenal Riverside, Woolwich, London SE18 6FR

*Prices and information correct at time of going to press. Computer generated image is indicative only. ^Approximate travel times for Crossrail taken from Royal Arsenal Woolwich. Source: www.crossrail.co.uk

T H R OU G H THE KEYHOLE WOULD YOU OPEN YOUR HOUSE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD? FROM TIME-POOR TYCOONS TO GALLIVANTING GLOBETROTTERS, A HOST OF BUSY HOMEOWNERS ARE CHOOSING TO RENT OUT THEIR PROPERTIES WHILE THEY’RE A W AY. O F F E R I N G A N U N R I VA L L E D S E R V I C E , O N E F I N E S TAY I S L E A D I N G THE HOME SHARING CHARGE. HERE, THREE HOMEOWNERS EXPLAIN WHY O N E F I N E S TAY W O R K S F O R T H E M

THE FREQUENT FLYERS

A chief scientific officer for a drug development company, Kent Gaspari spends much of his time travelling the world.

He lives with his partner, Kevin, in Seattle, but frequently returns to the UK to visit family. While they’re away, onefinestay takes care of their townhouse on Portobello Road Tell us about your home... Our home is a Victorian terraced house on Portobello Road in the heart of Notting Hill. We instantly fell in love with it because of the preserved Victorian exterior and the fresh and modern interior.

Why did you choose to rent your home with onefinestay?

We were told about onefinestay by a friend who had many positive experiences renting homes from them. I looked at the selection of homes that onefinestay represented and thought our home would be a good match. Currently we aren’t able to live in London full time, so renting out the home while we are out of the country helps to offset the costs of maintaining it. We’ve been extremely happy with the care and service onefinestay has provided to us and we’re thrilled it has had such strong bookings.

What inspired the design of your home? The living wall was our starting point for all our colour choices. We wanted to enhance the cool aesthetic yet still keep a warm and inviting feeling, so we mixed antique furnishings with some new pieces and tried to keep everything simple and approachable.

Where do you like to eat and drink on Portobello Road?

We love dining at Gold and meeting up with friends at Beach Blanket Babylon for drinks. Chucs on Westbourne Grove is a staple for us during the week, too.

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

113

PROPERTY

THE FAMILY

Catherine Hollier’s home in Kensington Park Mews is her permanent residence. During the school holidays, when her family likes to escape to the sunshine, she lists her home with onefinestay Tell us about your home... We bought our mews house 18 years ago, when it was originally two storeys.

We’ve recently finished a huge refurbishment, which means the house is now four storeys with both a fullsize basement and a sunny balcony on the top floor.

It has a contemporary and luxury feel to it which includes marble bathrooms, underfloor heating and air conditioning in the master bedroom.

THE GLOBETROTTERS

Interior designer Declan O’Quigley lives in the south of France with his partner Neal and their 12-year-old border terrier Dottie.

The couple split their time between their homes in St Tropez, Courchevel and London, where their Berners Street apartment is listed with onefinestay Tell us about your home... We bought this apartment in 2015, directly from the developer who had converted an office building into seven luxury flats. We are no strangers to renovation projects ourselves but for once were happy to buy a finished product because the quality of the interior finish was so good.

Why did you choose to rent your home with onefinestay?

I read about onefinestay in an article. The first thing that attracted me was the name; it made me smile. I felt our home would be in safe and caring hands and that onefinestay’s client base was ideal.

My home is well maintained and the team are very responsive.

Why did you choose to rent your home with onefinestay? As we go on holiday a lot, it seemed an interesting way of making the house work for us while we were away, and we even liked the idea of the house being used rather than vacant; it felt safer. The onefinestay team have always been very thorough in all aspects, from vetting the guests, to cleaning and looking after the house. I also like the online calendar, which I can update according to our changing plans.

What do you love most about your home?

Ultimately the location. I’ve lived in W11 for more than 25 years and I still love it. I especially like our exact location as it’s quiet and secure but a stone’s throw from the buzz of Notting Hill.

For more information on becoming a onefinestay homeowner, call +44 20 3871 8650 or visit onefinestay.com/join/luxury

Your home is one of onefinestay’s most popular, what makes it stand out? Location. It is extremely central but very peaceful considering where it is. One can walk to virtually all of London’s major attractions, which is great for sightseeing and evenings out at the theatre. The fact that we have air conditioning is also one of the major appeals of the property during the summer months.

What should every visitor to London make sure they do?

During the summer, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is a truly magical experience.

114

LU X U R Y L ON D ON .C O.U K

MOVE FAST TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LONDON HELP TO BUY† Limited availability of London Help to Buy is now here for selected homes within Centrum Court at Kidbrooke Village

Visit the stunning new Showhome today Call 020 3925 1826 to arrange your personal appointment London Help to Buy† is now available on selected 1 and 2 bedroom apartments at Centrum Court, ideally located next to the stunning Cator Park. With a beautifully landscaped podium garden and the fantastic amenities of The Village Centre close by, it offers an exceptional city lifestyle.

1 & 2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS AT CENTRUM COURT FROM £460,000

OVER

35

HECTARES OF GREEN OPEN SPACES

16

MINUTES

FROM CENTRAL LONDON

ZONE

3

HELP TO BUY – HOW IT WORKS TYPICAL EXAMPLE: HOME VALUE £460,000

Reservation fee Buyers 5% deposit

£500 £22,500

Government 40% loan

£184,000

55% mortgage

£253,000

ON-SITE

RETAIL HUB

CONNECT

WITH LONDON

C Y C L E

A WA R D W I N N I N G DEVELOPMENT

www.kidbrookevillage.co.uk Sales & Marketing Suite open daily 10am to 6pm (Thursdays until 8pm) 5 Pegler Square, London, SE3 9FW

RESIDENTS

ON LY

FA C I L I T I E S

Delivered in proud partnership with:

KIDBROOKE STATION

BLACKHEATH 3 MINUTES**

LONDON BRIDGE 16 MINUTES**

WATERLOO EAST 19 MINUTES**

CANARY WHARF

22 MINUTES** Computer generated image of Centrum Court is indicative only. Photography depicts Showhome and is indicative only. Prices and information correct at time of sending to press. *Timing is approximate only. Source: www.tfl.gov.uk. †London Help to Buy is subject to the Homes and Communities Agency’s (HCA) terms and conditions and is available on new build homes up to £600,000 to customers where the property represents their only residence. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER DEBT SECURED ON IT. CHECK THAT THIS SCHEME WILL MEET YOUR NEEDS IF YOU WANT TO MOVE OR SELL YOUR HOME OR YOU WANT YOUR FAMILY TO INHERIT IT. IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT, SEEK INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVICE.

Meadow Way, BR6 £1,595,000 F/H

Fantastic three bedroom extended and detached family home in one of Kent’s most favoured private estates ‘Farnborough Park’.

1

3

2

E

Contact Locksbottom 01689 882 988

Courtlands Close, CR2

Village Way, BR3

Exquisite four bedroom detached house, near Sanderstead train station and Ridgeway Primary school.

Three bedroom semi-detached house, located on one of the most sought-after roads in Beckenham.

£900,000 F/H

2

4

2

OIEO £650,000 F/H

D

Contact West Wickham 020 8432 7373

2

3

1

D

Contact Beckenham 020 8663 4433

The new home of property

acorngroup.co.uk/lr

Wood Drive, BR7

Willoughby Lane, BR1

Immaculately presented five bedroom detached family home, located near Elmstead Woods station.

A luxurious five bedroom, four bathroom detached regency style house within the prestigious Sundridge Park development.

£1,295,000 F/H

3

5

2

Guide £2,000,000 - £2,200,000 F/H

C

Contact Chislehurst 020 8295 4900

3

5

4

B

Contact Bromley 020 8315 5544

Stonehouse Road, TN14 £978,000 F/H

Extremely well maintained four bedroom detached bungalow on a sought-after private road in a semi-rural location.

2

4

2

D

Contact Orpington 01689 661 400

Gloucester Circus, SE10 £2,750,000 F/H

This is a rare opportunity to purchase a property in one of the most sought-after and exclusive locations within the West Greenwich area.

3

4

2

F

Contact West Greenwich 020 8858 9911

Reminder Lane, SE10

Manor Lane Terrace, SE13

Exclusive two bedroom, two bathroom, modern apartment.

Situated within the heart of the ever popular and sought-after Greenwich Millennium Village.

A superb four bedroom Edwardian end-of-terrace house offering much period charm and character throughout and boasting a loft conversion that has created a master bedroom with en-suite shower room.

£590,000, L/H

1

2

2

B

Contact East Greenwich 020 3846 1414

£899,995 F/H

2

4

2

Contact Lee 020 8852 8633

E

The new home of property

acorngroup.co.uk/jp

Coleraine Road, SE3

£725,000 F/H

This beautifully presented, three bedroom home is situated in a quiet residential street in the heart of the Westcombe Park conservation area.

1

3

1

C

Contact Blackheath Standard 020 8858 6101

Meadowcourt Road, SE3 £900,000 F/H

Situated on a generous corner plot in a quiet cul-de-sac, is this largely extended 1930s house, with a scope for further extension.

3

3

1

D

Contact Blackheath Village 020 8318 1311

Follow us on social   @acorngroup,  /acornestateagency or visit us at acorngroup.co.uk/jp

The new home of property

acorngroup.co.uk/jp

St Johns Park, SE3

Vanbrugh Fields, SE3

£1,850 PCM

£1,575 PCM

Immaculate three bedroom apartment located in Blackheath Standard.

Spacious and beautifully presented, top floor, two double bedroom apartment.

1

3

1

B

1

2

1

D

Contact Blackheath Standard 020 8858 6101

Contact Blackheath Standard 020 8858 6101

Maidenstone Hill, SE10

Chevening Road, SE10

Attractive Victorian terrace house in the heart of the West Greenwich conservation area.

Renovated three bedroom property located within the Halstow catchment area.

£2,400 PCM

1

2

1

E

£2,200 PCM

2

3

1

D

Contact West Greenwich 020 8858 9911

Contact East Greenwich 020 3846 1414

Horseferry Place, SE10

Kidbrooke Grove, SE3

A spacious, third floor river front apartment in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

A beautiful extended five bedroom semidetached family house.

£2,300 PCM

1

£3,800 PCM

2

2

C

Contact West Greenwich 020 8858 9911

2

5

3

D

acorngroup.co.uk/jp

Contact Blackheath Village 020 8318 1311

Follow us on social   @acorngroup,  /acornestateagency or visit us at acorngroup.co.uk/jp

11091_095_TTP_Ad_210x297_CANARY_WHARF_AW.indd 1

20/01/2020 10:19

Mayfair Showroom 66 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 3JL 35 offices in central London and over 70 across the capital

Scandrett Street, E1W ÂŁ3,000,000

Located within the Wapping Conservation Area, a unique two bedroom house with plenty of living and entertaining space. The large reception room and kitchen/dining room both span an entire floor. There is an impressive roof terrace, a courtyard garden and private parking, energy rating e.

Dexters Wapping 020 7650 5350

Fairmont Avenue, E14 ÂŁ1,600,000

Situated towards the top of this superior development, a three bedroom, three bathroom penthouse apartment.

This exceptional property offers a wraparound terrace, a private sauna and breathtaking views of the River Thames, Canary Wharf and the City, energy rating d.

Dexters Canary Wharf 020 7517 1199

dexters.co.uk

St Katharine Docks, E1W £3,950 per week

This unique 1930’s steel barge has been converted into a sensational houseboat. Currently moored in a prime London dock, this home has over 5,000 sq. ft of space with an additional 50 ft. deck. There are five bedrooms, three bathrooms and an impressive central atrium staircase.

Dexters Tower Bridge 020 7650 5351

Narrow Street, E14 £5,000 per week

A fantastic three bedroom, three bathroom penthouse apartment with a huge amount of living space. Set over two floors, there is an impressive balcony with far reaching views, perfect for entertaining both friends and family. This is riverside living at its best, energy rating c.

Dexters Wapping 020 7650 5351 For further information on the costs associated with renting a property, please visit our website or ask one of our local experts.