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ABSOLUTELY FEBRUARY 2013

CONTENTS 9

EDITOR’S LETTER

10 ABSOLUTELY LOVES

Absolutely’s top ten this month

ARTS AND CULTURE 13 TALKING TOPICS What’s hot this month

21 COLD SNAP

Award-winning photographer, Paul Nicklen’s wildlife portfolio

24 STABLE LIFE

Behind the scenes at Hyde Park Stables

27 SOCIALS

Lady Rothermere’s charity affair

STYLE

Dale Rogers on ammonites and Afghanistan

INTERIORS 66 SAY IT WITH FLOWERS Eight of the best vases

68 INTERIOR INSPIRATIONS

Russian-inspired Valentine’s Day ideas by Tara Craig

71 GET THE LOOK

Soane Britain’s Lulu Lytle’s boho sitting room

72 HOW DID THE GARDEN GROW? Sally Williams on the history behind Chelsea and Fulham’s treasured gardens

31 CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL

FOOD & TRAVEL

33 LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

77 MASTER OF MACARONS

34 VICOMTE VICTORIOUS

80 RESTAURANT REVIEWS

62 GET LIPPY

83 FOOD NOTES

64 BEAUTY CONFIDENTIAL

85 COAST TO COAST

Valentine’s vesture with Violet

Glittering jewels for Valentine’s Day

Arthur de Soultrait on Vicomte A’s success Top lipsticks for the season

Après ski tips from Wendy Rowe

FEATURES 42 COUNTDOWN TO CATWALK Paul Costelloe’s fashion week

Pierre Hermé - the ‘Picasso of Pastry’ – on breaking into Britain

La Poissonnerie on Sloane Street and Chelsea Green’s Geales Lunch, dinner and liqueurs British exclusive in Mauritius

97 TREASURE ISLAND

Romance and relaxation in St Lucia

PROPERTY

46 NO WOMAN’S AN ISLAND

108 PROPERTY NEWS

53 FIT FOR A QUEEN

126 MOVING IN

Family life with island girl India Hicks Hotelier Jeremy Goring unveils the fun and games behind The Goring Hotel

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56 CLOSE TO THE BONE

News and views, plus Ruth Bloomfield

Local agents give their recommendations

28/01/2013 21:02

ABSOLUTELY Fulham

EDITORINCHIEF Harriet Compston EDITOR Edwina Langley EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Fred Beckett, Flora Hughes-Onslow FASHION FEATURES EDITOR Violet Naylor-Leyland INTERIORS EDITOR Tara Craig CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Paul Costelloe COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Victoria White ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Charlie Tiptaft ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Nicola Owens GROUP PROPERTY DIRECTOR Alexandra Hunter CENTRAL PROPERTY MANAGER Anna Hutton-Potts ART DIRECTOR Ray Searle SENIOR DESIGNER Stewart Hyde MIDWEIGHT DESIGNER Gemma Isteed DESIGNERS Andrew Mavin, Mathew John JUNIOR DESIGNER Edward Taylor PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Christine Mann FINANCE DIRECTOR Alexandra Hvid MARKETING MANAGER Leah Day DIRECTOR Greg Hughes MANAGING DIRECTOR Sherif Shaltout For editorial enquiries please email: editorial@zest-media.com For advertising enquiries please call 020 7704 0588 or email: advertising@zest-media.com Subscriptions are available simply by emailing subscriptions@zest-media.com.

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18/10/2012 13:30

EDITOR’S LETTER FEBRUARY 2013

H

urray for February, the last month of winter. What with January’s snow, and travel disruptions and fingers freezing off, at Absolutely we found ourselves fantasising about the sun. And so dear readers, I present you with… our sun-kissed Travel Special. Here, we cover the globe.

I caught up with designer India Hicks from her home in the Bahamas (jealous), where she told me about modelling, motherhood and her special relationship with her own mother.

Jeremy Goring, of The Goring Hotel, sends us into hysterics as he recounts tales of undressing in restaurants, strange bedroom requests and, err, sheep.

Indiana Jones-esque fossil collector, Dale Rogers, takes us around his Pimlico gallery, recalling some hairraising moments from Afghanistan and detailing how a £900,000 exhibition piece gets its price tag.

Plus we set sail to review some of the most luxurious islands in the world...

Exhausted yet? We’re not! Because something else happens in February that is most definitely worth a mention – Valentine’s Day. Ah, the day of love. I’ve tried not to go OTT with hearts and chocolates and roses, but I couldn’t help letting them creep in occasionally. Like in our interview with legendary French pastry chef, Pierre Hermé. I, for one, am hoping someone might kindly send me a box of his Valentine’s macarons… someone?

Anyone? Finger’s crossed.

I hope you enjoy the issue.

Edwina Langley Editor

COVER: LICKERISH THIS PHOTO: SHOT BY MARC AND PAULA KAYNE STYLING BY LINDSAY PIPER

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28/01/2013 19:39

Absolutely

LOVES 1

Fulham

1 HAPPY FACES

Imagine a world in which your child actually wants to have a hair cut. Then imagine a salon, which is not only dedicated to kids, but also to keeping them entertained. Happy Faces in Fulham is one of a kind, filled with stylists who specialise in children’s hair. Toys, sweets and kids DVDs are all on hand to keep boredom at bay, and little ones will even receive a certificate after their first hair cut to reward them for good behaviour. It’s every mothers dream. Happy Faces, 288 Munster Road, SW6, 020 7610 3553; yourhappyfaces.com

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3 2 2 DEUXIEME

Looking for glamorous designer wear but still feeling the post-Christmas pinch? Deuxieme Dress Agency in Fulham offers amazingly good value designer labels, updated daily in its charming little boutique and sister shop, Deuxieme Too, which is just across the road.

Browse the rails for sensational Vivienne Westwood, Prada, Missoni, Chloe and Stella garments. 299 New Kings Road, SW6, 020 7736 3696; deuxieme.co.uk

3 HRW ANTIQUES

Delving through the treasure trove that is Iain Russell Henderson Antiques, we came across this elegant and eye-catching piece. Having collected ‘objet d’art’ from the tender age of 12, Mr. Henderson specialises in 18th- and 19th-century antiques and has built up a large collection in his Fulham flagship store.

For home improvement, find it in HRW Antiques’ Aladdin’s Cave. 26 Sulivan Road, SW6, 020 7371 7995; hrw-antiques.com

4 LUNA FLOWERS

When it comes to flowers, Luna Stein is the business. Each flower that passes through her door is personally selected by Luna, with fresh deliveries from Holland daily, and stunning, exotic species from the tropics and South Africa. If you’re after a unique and romantic bouquet for the 14 February, take advantge of her years of experience and get down to her shop pronto. 157 Munster Road, SW6, 020 7736 4088; lunasteinflorist.co.uk

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5 BLOOM & GIN CUPCAKES

Award-winning Bloom London Dry Gin and Primrose Bakery have joined forces to celebrate Valentine’s Day with an incredibly indulgent, intoxicating bespoke cupcake. Each cupcake is hand-soaked three times in a secret Gin recipe, with infusions of honeysuckle, pomelo and chamomile. The sponge is layered with mouthfuls of fresh strawberries and to top it all off, a soft pink buttercream and Gin icing with a delicate edible flower. £3.45 per cupcake, delivery available nationwide until 28 February. primrosebakery.org.uk

6 ANTHROPOLOGIE QUILT

With the ‘big freeze’ apparently upon us and set to stay for some time, the thought of hibernating in a warm, cosy bed is beyond appealing. But for those of us who can’t afford to snuggle up under the covers day after day, Anthropologie has a beautifully soft and cheerful solution so at least you’ll stay warm at night. The Jardin Queen Quilt is the perfect winter purchase, reminiscent of a homely country bedroom. £148, 131-141 King’s Road, SW3, 020 7349 3110; anthropologie.eu

7 TWISTED VINTAGE

Now that ‘vintage’ seems to be everywhere, it’s pretty hard to find retro style that’s actually unique. But look no further. Twisted Vintage jewellery epitomises individuality. Each item is lovingly designed and created by hand with a quirky, modern twist. Recycled from precious treasures from a bygone era, rare vintage pieces are incorporated into works of art and come in a delightful hand-stitched vintage pouch, perfect for Valentine’s Day. Necklaces start from £45. Available from Anthropologie; twisted-vintage.co.uk

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10 8 JUST SEND ME WORD

The latest novel by legendary writer Orlando Figes, Just Send Me Word, is the powerful story of Lev Mischchenko and Svetlana Ivanova, two young lovers separated first by the Second World War and later the Gulag. The resilient pair managed to smuggle letters to each other throughout their long separation; letters which tell the story of a love that crosses continents. Quite the tear-jerker. £9.99, Daunt Books, 158-164 Fulham Road, SW10, 020 7373 4997; dauntbooks.co.uk

9 THE POWER YOGA COMPANY FULHAM

Don’t let the word ‘Power’ put you off. This rewarding form of yoga is suitable, whatever your flexibility, fitness or age. What’s not to like? And thanks to a special February Valentine’s Day offer, readers of Absolutely can enjoy an exclusive deal on a partners’ yoga class to get you started, just £20 by candle light. Quote ‘Absolutely Fulham Yoga’ for further details. The Glass House, 11-12 Lettice Street, SW6, 020 7736 4429; thepoweryogaco.com

10 ROCOCO CHOCOLATES

As we approach 14 February, if you’re not expecting a gift from a special someone, why not treat yourself? Rococo’s delicious chocolate ganaches come in beautiful hand painted heart shaped boxes and are available in a range of romantic designs. For those after something slightly more erotic, put in a special order for a box of Venus nipple and lip choccies. There’s only one word: Yum. Hand painted baby hearts from £11.95. 321 King’s Road, SW3, 020 7352 5857; rococochocolates.com 11

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Swiss movement, English heart

Bespoke Unitas 6497 hand-wound movement (Calibre JJ02) from master watchmaker, Johannes Jahnke / Each piece, of only 250, personally assembled by Johannes in our Swiss atelier / Supremely engineered, 43mm, 316L stainless steel case with full diameter transparent case-back / Unique serial number engraved on case and movement Premium Louisiana alligator deployment strap / 5 year movement guarantee

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ARTS&CULTURE HITCHCOCK FULHAM VUE CINEMA FROM 8TH FEBRUARY

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HITCHCOCK FULHAM VUE CINEMA FROM 8 FEBRUARY

A behind the scenes look at one of the greatest cinematographers of all time. The film centres on the filming of Psycho, a strange cinematographic direction for Hitchcok to have taken, following the wild success of North by Northwest. With little budget and tensions rising both on and off the set, Hitchcock delivers a detailed insight into the mind of a perfectionist filmmaker and his relationship with his loving wife. Stars Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren and Scarlett Johansson.

Fulham Broadway, SW6, 0871 224 0240; myvue.com/home/cinema/fulham-broadway

February

ANDREA BRUNSENDORF: CONTINUING TO MAKE HISTORY IN THE INNER TEMPLE FULHAM PALACE 20 FEBRUARY

Every inch of space in a London garden is precious. Andrea Brunsendorf – Head Gardener at the Inner Temple Garden – is the fourth speaker in this series of talks at Fulham Palace. She will discuss how to make the most of the space you have, without breaking the bank. From arrangement to garden style, Andrea will deliver the dos and don’ts to maximise your garden’s potential.

Fulham Palace Bishop’s Avenue, SW6, 0207 736 3233; fulhampalace.org

PANCAKE DAY KING’S ARMS 12 FEBRUARY

Celebrate Shrove Tuesday or ‘Fat Tuesday’ with a little sugar indulgence at The King’s Arms. Throughout the day, sweet or meat pancakes are served up by friendly staff in this cosy corner of London – the perfect opportunity to splurge a little before the abstinence of Lent begins on Wednesday. Whilst there’s plenty of choice, our favourite has to be the classic lemon and sugar.

190 Fulham Rd, SW10, 0207 351 5043; geronimo-inns.co.uk 14

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ARTS&CULTURE

NATURAL COLOUR WORKSHOP FULHAM PALACE 19 FEBRUARY

If you have a child aged between 8-12 years old, in need of some Half Term entertainment, book them into the natural colour workshop. A textiles artist reveals how natural dyes are made from foods such as onions and berries, and teaches how fabrics can be created using resistance methods.

A great education. 10.30am-4.30pm. £22 per person, booking essential, Bishop’s Avenue, SW6, 020 7751 2432; fulhampalace.org

IF YOU DON’T LET US DREAM, WE WON’T LET YOU SLEEP ROYAL COURT THEATRE 15 FEBRUARY9 MARCH

Penned by Anders Lustgarten, winner of the first Harold Pinter Playwright’s Award 2011, this play explores the crisis of the financial world and turns the idea of ‘austerity measures’ on it’s head. Directed

by Simon Godwin, starring Susan Brown, Ben Dilloway, Laura Elphinstone, Daniel Kendrick, Damien Molony and Lucian Msamati. The production is part of the Royal Court’s ‘Jerwood New Playwrights programme’, created to discover and encourage the playwrights of tomorrow, supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation. 50-51 Sloane Square, SW1, 0207 565 5000; royalcourttheatre.com

LONDON WALL FINBOROUGH THEATRE

23 FEBRUARY

First performed in the West End in 1931 (and televised in 1963) London Wall has largely been forgotten – until now. The acclaimed Two’s Company revives this humorous tale of women workers in a solicitor’s office in the City.

Set in 1930s, typist Pat is considered ‘fair game’ by office manager, Brewer, who thinks nothing of making advances towards her. Should she give in or try to resist? Her fellow co-workers advise, leaving her writer boyfriend fighting to win her back. Finborough Rd, SW10, 0844 847 1652; finboroughtheatre.co.uk

VALENTINE’S DAY HONKY TONK 14 FEBRUARY

New York-inspired bar and restaurant, Honky Tonk, has Valentine’s Day sorted. With a glass of champagne on arrival, a deliciously designed set menu and live blues and jazz throughout the night, it promises to be a good night out at a surprisingly affordable rate. Three scrumptious courses for only £39.95 per person – bargain. 6 Hollywood Road, SW10, 0207 351 1588; honkytonkchelsea.com

SACRED: INWARD OUT BY GUY DARTNELL CHELSEA THEATRE 16 FEBRUARY

Get involved with this experimental event, which offers two thought-provoking experiences – the opportunity to either sit, lie and relax amongst others in total silence, immersed in a meditative state concentrating on your inner world, or the chance to observe others doing just that. Is this a creative process or a non-event? Guy Dartnell is an internationally acclaimed artist and filmmaker, who specialises in participatory spectacles. 7 World’s End Place, SW10, 0207 352 1967; chelseatheatre.org.uk 15

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ARTS&CULTURE ROYAL COURT REVIEW

NO QUARTER

With Polly Stenham as the playwright, this play was hot. Add in Sienna Miller’s boyfriend Tom Sturridge and Downton’s Zoe Boyle, and it was positively burning.

Frustrating then, that it never quite caught fire.

It was Stenham’s favourite topic: privileged despair.

Would-be musician, Robin (Sturridge) has just lost his mother to dementia. Following her demise, he squats in his (now sold) family home falling further and further by the wayside. Whilst Sturridge does his best to pull it off and the supporting cast are... supportive... it’s just not enough.

Even Tom Scutt’s brilliant set design fails to save it. No, the rise and fall is down to Stenham. She’s good, but when it comes to one and a half hours of people getting ‘wasted’, one needs to be very good. HARRIET COMPSTON Until 9th February 2013; royalcourttheatre.com

Culture Flash

THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHTS

WINTER GAMES

JUKEBOX

Dave’s top tunes

Co-host of 95-8 Capital FM Breakfast show and co-founder of October House, Dave Berry, gives us this month’s musical must-buys RITA ORA  R ADIOACTIVE

Rachel Johnson’s sparkling story of snow, sleighs and sex, transports us back to the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Nazi Winter Olympics – inspired by the memories of her half Russian Jewish granny.

The narrative of Johnson’s first historical novel moves across time and space, from bored, journalist Francie, living in pre-crunch 2006, to her grandmother, Daphne, in 1930s Germany.

In an empty marriage, Francie spends much of her time fantasising about her lustful boss, until on a Bavarian travel freebie she discovers a photo of her beloved Grannie with Adolf Hitler.

Horrified, Francie heads back to England to unravel the mystery of what had happened between Debs and Nazis, frolicking in the snow in the 1930s. An uplifting Mitfordian winter treat. Fig Tree, £14.99, waterstones.com ALICE COKE

I’m choosing this record because I want Rita Ora to be mine. I’ve been open with her about this. So bearing that in mind – ahem – this is the song I will be playing every hour, on the hour.

TYLER JAMES FEAT. KANO  WORRY ABOUT YOU

Tyler and Kano make for a good musical fit – I’ve always been a fan. Here, Tyler manages to get away with rhyming ‘Ramsey ain’t wrong’ with the words ‘streaky bacon.’ That’s good stuff.

GABRIELLE APLIN  PLEASE DON’T SAY YOU LOVE ME Having finished making grown men cry (well, me) with that bloomin’ snowman Christmas advert, Gabrielle has moved onto making music for Mother’s Day gifts. But she has such a sweet voice, and in the video she drives a Volvo, which is so ‘un-popstar’ this brilliant track definitely gets my vote.

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Reads of the Month

BRITISH MURALS AND DECORATIVE PAINTING 1910-1970, SANSOM & CO, £40 Snap up this beautiful coffee table book which coincides with The Fine Art Society’s display of magnificent murals, many of which were included in the famous Festival of Britain of 1951. Vast pieces were commissioned by the Arts Council to adorn the South Bank and its structures for the occasion.

Several of the murals were commissioned for homes and businesses across Chelsea and Fulham too, though many have since been presumed lost or destroyed. Mary Adshead’s work, for example, used to hang in Peter Jones.

The exhibition runs from 14 February-9March. 148 New Bond Street, W1, 020 7629 5116; faslondon.com

HHHH: LAURENT BINET, VINTAGE BOOKS, PAPERBACK, £8.99

WHERE CHEF’S EAT PHAIDON, HARDBACK, £14.95

Where do the folk who really know how to cook eat out?

Over 400 of the world’s finest chefs have picked out their favourite destinations, from breakfast to lunch, to high-end extravagance and late night feasts. And this is Phaidon, who gave us Silver Spoon and a wealth of other covetable tomes, which means this ultimate guide to dining out is a fine and handsome thing to behold.

CAPITAL: JOHN LANCHESTER, FABER & FABER LTD, PAPERBACK, £7.99 The residents of Pepys Road, London, are being sent mysterious, anonymous postcards with the message: we want what you have. But who is the ‘we’ and exactly what is it they want? Capital is very much a London novel and very much more a state-of-the-nation novel, an expansive story of the financial crash and multiculturalism and class, rooted in the now but to be read and read again for years to come.

SENTINEL: MATTHEW DUNN, ORION BOOKS, HARDBACK, £16.99

Like John le Carré and Ian Fleming before him, former MI6 agent Matthew Dunn has a genuine insider’s perspective. The result is authentic spy fiction, the best possible sort – the reason we still read and talk about Fleming and Le Carré. The first in the series, Spycatcher, was a sleeper hit in paperback last year. Think Bond and Bourne and Smiley but tougher, modern day, fast paced and very real.

A novel that is not just a novel, HHhH came out in hardback last year to huge acclaim. The true story of the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Gestapo and one of the chief architects of the Holocaust, it is also an exploration of how to tell such a story without exaggeration. A fictionalised tale that is not fictionalised, a historical novel, a thriller, reportage – this book fully justifies the lavish praise adorning its cover.

George Saunders is the writer that writers adore. This collection of short stories is filled with wonderful tales that you too can adore, from the surreal to the heartbreaking, the beautiful to the haunting, the satirical to the demented.

Book selection by Belgravia Books, 59 Ebury Street, SW1W, 020 7259 9336; enquiries@belgraviabooks.com

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TENTH OF DECEMBER: GEORGE SAUNDERS, BLOOMSBURY, HARDBACK, £14.99

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ARTS&CULTURE

Cold snap Canadian biologist, photographer and 2012’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Paul Nicklen, describes how he captured his winning shots, on display at Natural History Museum

BLAST OFF 2012: Underwater Worlds – Runner-up Antarctica I took this shot a week after I had been attacked by leopard seal. I was very nervous about getting into the water as there were now multiple leopard seals lunging at us on the ice. They probably hadn’t seen humans before.

As I saw that penguin come up, I knew it was the image I wanted to make. I say ‘make’ because the difference between professional and amateur photographers is that amateurs take pictures, professionals make them. It’s a preconceived idea. I can sketch most of the pictures I want to take before I capture them.

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FROZEN MOMENT Behaviour: Birds Winner Antartica This one was taken early on in the shoot. I had to lie just 2m from the edge of the ice was incredibly dangerous. The penguins get so much height in the air because they are travelling incredibly quickly to escape the leopard seals behind. I was lying next to the water as they shot out, so it was a very vulnerable place to be. One penguin went off-course and landed on my head! It weighed 35kg, going 25 kph, it almost knocked me out! But it was unbelievable. I shot over 15,000 images of penguins exiting the water – a near impossible shot because it was happening so quickly. I was constantly missing but then suddenly, right in the middle of the camera, they came out of the water (nice and high) and that one moment materialised.

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ARTS&CULTURE BUBBLE-JETTING EMPERORS Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photograph of the Year Winner Antarctica On the first day of shooting, I had no idea how the Emperor Penguins were going to react to me. I had just been attacked by a leopard seal and I didn’t know if they too were going to perceive me as a predator. I got into the water (it was -1.8°C) and locked my legs under the ice. I knew at some point, the penguins would have to return from the open sea to breathe, so I got into position and waited. The first wave of penguins came in and there were hundreds.

There was so much wake and turbulence from their bodies that I could barely see. The birds were big, 40kg, and they started breaking the ice around me. I tried not to move and just kept shooting. At one point a large adult laid against my head (that’s the penguin at the top left hand side of the picture). I moved my camera just a bit to the left, to frame the shot. As more penguins came in, the one on the right started releasing bubbles. I knew I had something special.

But it was so chaotic; I was shooting 10 frames a second.

I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry! I kept thinking ‘you work for National Geographic, they publish pictures not excuses, you have to get this moment.’ As it unfolded, I was so grateful to have access to this underwater ballet.

FINAL WORD

It terrifies me to think that on our watch, we are going to lose a lot of incredible habitats and species. We don’t have the capacity to put our own personal agenda, our own greed, behind the overall goal of saving the planet. I worked in the Arctic as a biologist for many years, but changed to photography because it gave me a greater sense of purpose.

I wanted people to see my photographs and feel inspired.

We think about money, food and sex a hundred times a day.

We need to start thinking as much about the environment.

Paul Nicklen is available for commissions. Contact Sara Snider (ssnider@ngs.org, 001 202 857 7391) at National Geographic.

All images courtesy of Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Stock.

The exhibition runs until 3 March at Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, SW7, 020 7942 5725; nhm.ac.uk.

SPIRIT OF THE FOREST Animals in their Environment Specially Commended.

Canada I had a lot of time to think about this shot. I sat in the rainforest for three months and all my pictures for this story came together on just two and a half days’ shooting. The rest of the time I spent sitting in the pouring rain, staring at a blank river. Once it happened, I just let go and lost myself in the process. I love the solitude of nature. It’s where I get my energy. People pay a lot of money to have that experience, with or without the bears, but for me, it’s my time and my soul is at peace.

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Stable life

Flora Hughes-Onslow takes the reins and puts Hyde Park Stables through its paces

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ARTS & CULTURE

ALIONA ADRIANOVA

A

ccording to Hyde Park Stables’ owner, Basia Briggs, horse riding is a sure-fire way to find a man. ‘Women are shown to their best advantage on horseback, that’s the way to attract men.’ Probably not so much of a concern for her celebrity clients, including Victoria’s Secret model, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, and Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell.

Basia, who has owned the stables with her husband for 20 years, grew up around horses. With a Cavalry father, she has been riding for as long as she can remember, yet still insists on maintaining a high standard of dress every time she mounts a horse. ‘I always wear my best when I go out riding,’ she tells me. ‘I dress as well and as ostentatiously as I can.’

Spending an afternoon at the stables with Basia, my experience felt a little less glamorous – I thumped up and down on my saddle in jeans, riding through light January drizzle. I might have looked like Dick Turpin, sploshing through the puddles, but I nevertheless felt poised.

There’s something romantic about riding through rain, a notion Basia heartily advocates. ‘I prefer riding through terrible weather,’ she says. ‘It’s all very well riding in the sunshine but lashing rain does make you feel like a more serious rider. Foul weather riding is the ‘true’ riding. You’re not just a tourist. Sometimes people ring up wanting to cancel in bad weather, but I say ‘this is England – you knew this would happen!’

It’s fun and shows you have spirit and metal. Sometimes it takes a bit of convincing…’

A day in the stables starts off bright and early at half past seven. First the horses are fed a meal of grass pellets, an apple and a sprinkling of hay. After breakfast the stables are mucked out, then the horses are groomed and prepared for their morning ride. It all sounds rather frantic bringing the stables to life, but one gets the impression there’s such an established routine that order far outweighs chaos.

The horses are usually out in the park for at least two hours a day – more on the weekends – for they become anxious if they get any less. They have relatively early meal times, dinner by 6pm, but there’s always ample work to do before leaving the stables for the night. It certainly seems a long day, one that gets longer in the summer, although everyone is so devoted they clearly relish the workload.

Even when they’re done for the day there might still be work to do.

A state of the art monitor and camera, with four screens, constantly watches the stables and mews, allowing Basia and her husband to make sure nothing’s gone awry in the middle of the night. It’s not Big Brother, it’s motherly concern, for the stables certainly have a family feel to them. A member of staff lives above in a flat, and tears are shed by all every time a horse has to leave. Mostly sold on to clients and friends, Basia is reluctant to let them go and turnover isn’t high.

After all, one must keep a stable, stable…

BASIA BRIGGS WITH BARON (ABOVE); CHILDREN PREPARING TO RIDE (BELOW); OUT IN THE PARK (LEFT)

In addition to the warm and welcoming atmosphere, the riding experience as a whole felt therapeutic, good for the soul. I don’t consider myself an outdoors-type, so I don’t think it had anything to do with the smell of the stables, the hay and the manure, despite Basia’s best efforts to convince me otherwise.

It was something to do with connecting to the animal, forming a bond with a friendly beast, and getting some fresh air as well.

Basia tells me she is incredibly grateful to the Olympics for helping people understand the importance of this connection. The success and sudden interest in Charlotte Dujardin, following the 2012 dressage, has undoubtedly given riding a boost and will hopefully have a long term legacy, lending (or perhaps restoring) a bit of glamour to this beloved sport. With supermodels like Edie Campbell competing in national riding tournaments, an upsurge in its popularity seems imminent.

As the last privately owned stables in London, Hyde Park Stables is a rarity that one hopes will be preserved for generations to come. The existence of this cobbled, tucked away mews in the centre of our great city, reminds of a time when things were basic and good, so far away from the hecticness of our current fast paced metropolis.

It feels refreshing that some are returning to this traditional pursuit and I hope many more will do too.

63 Bathurst Mews, W2, 020 7723 2813; hydeparkstables.com

‘Women are shown to their best advantage on horseback, that’s the way to attract men.’

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24/01/2013 24/01/2013 15:54 15:19

DENNIS O’CONNOR AND GUEST

MR & MRS SHEIBANI

BULGARI BLING

VIVIENNE BECKER AND STEPHEN WEBSTER

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, as is Vivienne Becker, whose new book – The Impossible Collection of Jewelry – tells us all about them (and other jewels).

What better launch party could one imagine, therefore, than a decadent soiree held at the Bulgari Hotel, including champagne on tap and platters of fois gras? None? Precisely.

Absolutely

SOCIAL

JOAN ROLLS AND GUEST

SIR MARK AND LADY THATCHER

BRIAN ARIS AND JULIA BRADBURY

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

The coldest night of the year did nothing to prevent crowds piling into Proud Gallery, Chelsea to see photographer Brian Aris’ new exhibition, Debbie Harry: Queen of Punk. There, attendees, including Julia Bradbury and Hugh McQueen, huddled together to keep warm and stared in awe at the boldness of the Blondie beauty.

ZOE DUNN AND HUGH MCQUEEN

LADY ELIZABETH ANSON, HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH HAMAD BIN ABDULLAH AL-THANI, THE DOWAGER VISCOUNTESS ROTHERMERE

LADY R-AVISHING

ANGELA RIPPON

The Lady R Foundation, foundered by the Dowager Viscountess Rothermere, held its inaugural charity event at St John’s Smith Square last month – and with a recorded message by the Prince of Wales, it was always going to be a grand affair. In support of Veterans Aid, guests (which included many veterans themselves) dined on lobster, to an impressive musical line-up, presented by the delicious Angela Rippon.

PARK JI SUNG Butlers from which SW1A 1AA residence served The Lady R Foundation’s guests?

VETERANS FROM VETERANS AID

MAJOR GENERAL ROBIN SEARBY

PHILIP MOULD

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STYLE

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All that glitters

ELIE SAAB

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Go for gold with this Oscar-inspired attire

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1. BUTLER & WILSON Small Crystal Bow Hair Clip, £38; butlerandwilson.co.uk 2. PROJECT D Adonis Alabaster Wool Crepe Jacket, £165; austique.com 3. TOPSHOP Jollie Glitter Sole Heels, £62; topshop.com 4. ALICE TEMPERELY Long Ariel Dress, £1,950; temperleylondon.com 5. STELLA MCCARTNEY Printed Wool and Silk-Blend Scarf, £300; net-a-porter.com 6. DONNA KARAN Incognita Bodysuit, £78; harveynichols.com 7. ZAEEM JAMAL Sandalphon Gown, £2,150; zaeemjamal.com 8. CUT25 Draped Silk Dress, £190; harveynichols.com 29

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t f i G t c A Perfe tines n e l a V r Fo

www.lnaboutique.com261 King's Road, Chelsea020 7352 7855

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STYLE FROM ACROSS THE POND We’re thrilled to hear Chelsea Green boutique Fleur B is now stocking US designer Ulla Johnson. Her very cool and understated monochrome designs normally seen at Barneys in New York are tailored beautifully and have attracted the likes of Clare Danes and Jennifer Connelly. Now, it’s our turn.

Fleur B, 8 Elystan Street, SW3, 020 7225 3050; fleurb.co.uk

FASHION NOTES Stylist Violet Naylor-Leyland seeks out Valentine vesture for you… and your man VALENTINE ROMP

HIS N’ HERS Fashion and art fusion, Each Other, launches in the UK this month, with a strong emphasis on androgyny (the men’s range fit women, the women’s range fit men).

Confused? That’s modern art for you…

Now available at Harrods

BOUTIQUE-IN-BRIEF ROSS X BUTE, 328 KING’S ROAD THE IDEA: Luxury basics with the ‘lux’ being in the detail, ROSS X BUTE do slinky, feminine yet sophisticated blouses, shirt dresses and knits, in contrasting fabrics and

Perhaps Irish-born designer Orla Keily could be accused of introducing us to ‘perky chic’. Well, this delightful silk romper, certainly does the trick in brightening up our Winter wardrobe. For that longlegged 60s look, seek out a pair of grey patterned tights and some pumps or plimsolls or team with high denier black hosiery and heels for your hot date. £336, Orla Keily, 207 King’s Road, SW3, 020 7351 2644, orlakeily.com

Your turn this year? We’ve got it – or rather him – covered. Well, lingerie sirens Damaris, designers of exquisitely pretty women’s range Mimi Holliday, have. Now doing men’s line Max Holliday, they’re also offering a same day monogramming service for Valentine’s day, costing just £5.95 per letter when you buy a pair of £55 contrasting Liberty-print cotton boxers. Available at Harrods. 87-135 Brompton Rd, SW1, 020 7730 1234; harrods.com

colours that make a freshening edition to any tired February work wardrobe.

shades flattering for most skin tones but they style easily with any wardrobe.

THE USP: It’s all in the feel and fall of the delectable fabrics they use such as crepe du chine, cashmere, lace and alpaca.

Each style comes in equally tantalising yet understated colour waves including gunmetal grey, midnight blue, charcoal black and cream. Not only are these soft

THE BUY: Team this midnight blue crepe du chine and lace blouse, £186 (left), with your favourite smart jeans or this season’s pencil skirt and you will undoubtedly look the business.

Violet is a stylist, journalist and owner of fancy dress and vintage boutique violetsbox.com

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MONOGRAM HIS ASS!

328 King’s Road, SW3, 020 376 3467;

rossandbute.com

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STYLE

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1. DAVID MORRIS, OVAL BURMESE RUBY AND EMERALD-CUT WHITE DIAMOND BANGLE, WITH DIAMOND MICRO-SURROUND SETTING, PRICE ON REQUEST; DAVIDMORRIS.COM. 2. BOODLES, VINTAGE 6.65CTS BURMA RUBY RING, £108,000; BOODLES.COM. 3. TIFFANY, ‘I LOVE YOU’ HEART LOCKET SET IN 18K ROSE GOLD, £680; TIFFANY.CO.UK. 4. LUCIE CAMPBELL, PLATINUM AND YELLOW GOLD, RUBY, SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND BIRDS IN NEST BROOCH, £12,500; LUCIECAMPBELL.COM. 5. CARTIER, TRINITY DE CARTIER RING, PINK GOLD, DIAMONDS, KUNZITE, £31,200; CARTIER.CO.UK. 6. BULGARI, SERPENTI 18KT PINK GOLD EARRINGS WITH RUBELLITE BEADS AND PAVÉ-SET DIAMOND SCALES, £8,450; BULGARI.COM. 7. GRAFF, GRAFF RUBY AND DIAMOND BUTTERFLY WATCH SET ON A RED CROCO STRAP; PRICE ON REQUEST; GRAFFDIAMONDS.COM 8. ASPREY, JEWELLERY BOX IN RED ASCOT CALF, £1,400; ASPREY.COM

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Vicomte

Victorious

Vicomte A founder, Arthur de Soultrait, talks to Absolutely about dressing celebrities, the key to his success and the very best thing about Chelsea‌

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STYLE

Where did the idea for Vicomte A come from?

From the US. It started in Charlotte, North Carolina. Some American friends created the logo and invented the name of the brand (my name). It’s aristocratic, but in our culture we don’t use our names in that way. My friends insisted however, and Vicomte A was born.

What is your role in the company?

I work with the designers and I am 100 per cent involved in the creation of the Men’s Collection. Less so with the Women’s Collection [laughs] but helping with design is the main part of my job.

Where are your stores?

We’ve just opened our flagship store on the King’s Road in Chelsea, but we have many stores across the world. In France we are located in many resorts, like Saint Tropez and Deauville. We’ve also opened in the Middle East and Japan. Last year was the first year we were able to really grow and I hope this will continue.

Why did you choose Chelsea for your flagship London store?

We’ve been looking for a location in London for three years now. We needed good visibility and I like the King’s Road.

As a famous French brand, we also wanted to be in a place where French people live. Here in Chelsea, there are lots!

It’s a very nice street and it’s good for the Women’s Collection too.

What type of person buys your clothes?

25-35 year olds. Our customers are people who are in business and travel a lot. They like to have fun and love our colourful range. We are a cool, modern brand, with strong colours.

What’s the best thing about being an entrepreneur?

The freedom, I think [laughs]. When you’re an entrepreneur, you have your own life and you can do what you like. You are 100 per cent free. It’s a great thing. You get a lot of inspiration through trips, your friends, weekends and parties, and you create your collections based on that.

Any advice to budding entrepreneurs?

Everything is possible. We’ve been very lucky and it’s just beginning. The company is only seven-years-old so it’s still very young.

I would say ‘to believe in your ideas’ and be ‘extremely dynamic.’ So, for example, today was difficult – I had many problems to solve on the train, it was stressful, but by the end of the day, it was sorted. Success lies in problem solving. And that’s why you have to be very modest in your success – because it takes time to be successful. Undone once and you’re finished. You must remember to fight all the time.

You’ve dressed a number of famous people. Can you give me any examples?

Last year we sponsored the Ocean Race, Vendée Globe. We were the official supplier and dressed some top French actors, there for the start of the race.

Such as?

Guillaume Canet and François Cluzet Where are you based?

In Paris. I’m taking the train back there at 6am tomorrow.

Do you stay in Chelsea when you come to London?

It depends, but usually yes.

What do you like about Chelsea?

The football club You love to party. What restaurants and nightclubs do you go to?

When I was younger I used to hang out in Raffles and Maggies. Now I go to lots of different places.

When’s your next collection out?

The Spring/ Summer 2013 collection launches this month.

And where do you see your business going?

Europe is very important, as is London.

We want to develop the USA next season, the Middle East and also the Japanese market – so yes, France, the UK, Europe, the USA, Mexico, the Middle East and Japan.

Wow. When will you sleep?

I don’t sleep. Ever....

Vicomte A, 113 King’s Rd , SW3, 020 7349 7547; vicomte-a.com

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ALL SAINTS DRESS, £136.50; CORALIA LEETS NECKLACE, £553; AVAILABLE AT FENWICK

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Lady of the lake West London meets west coast fashion on location in LA Photography by Marc and Paula Kayne Styling by Lindsay Piper

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FLANNEL BLACK JACKET, CAMISOLE AND TROUSERS, POA, AVAILABLE AT HARVEY NICHOLS; JEROME C. ROUSSEAU SHOES, £494, AVAILABLE AT OXYGEN BOUTIQUE; SYDNEY EVAN EARRINGS AND BRACELET, POA, AVAILABLE AT HARRODS

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ISSA LONDON DRESS, POA, NETA-PORTER; JEROME C. ROUSSEAU SHOES, £466; SYDNEY EVAN EARRINGS, POA; AVAILABLE AT HARRODS; ALEXANDRA DECLARIS SNAKESKIN CLUTCH, £559

LA PHOTO SHOOT FEB.indd 39

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STYLED BY LINDSAY PIPER (CLOUTIER REMIX AGENCY) PHOTOGRAPHERS: MARC AND PAULA KAYNE PHOTO ASSISTANT: THIANAR GOMIS HAIR AND MAKEUP: HARPER (EXCLUSIVE ARTISTS MANAGEMENT) MODEL: YAYA AT NEXT LOCATION: LOCATION SERVICES PROVIDED

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L O V E Martin Miller knows a thing or two about Love.

He should, he’s been married three times. “Love conquers all,” he’ll tell you.

But can love overcome Obsession? Tame Madness? Martin thinks so.

He’s been making his gin that way since 1999.

Marrying his obsession with crafting the perfect English Gin to the inspired Madness of blending it to strength using the gentle magic of pure Icelandic spring water.

So here’s proof, if you need it, that there’s always some Madness in Love, but also some reason in Madness.

BORN OF LOVE, OBSESSION AND SOME DEGREE OF MADNESS www.martinmillersgin.com

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Countdown to

Catwalk Fashion designer Paul Costelloe reveals the creative process behind his AW13 collection

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T

o develop a collection, you start off by finding inspiration at a fabric fair – preferably Milan or Paris – where you find directions and trends of what you would like to produce.

You then interpret these trends to suit your specific style, fabrics and colours.

At these trade fairs, you order swatches, which are shade cards of the fabrics you like.

You can also order sample lengths between five to 10m each.

Next, it’s back to the studio to sketch up initial style ideas for your new season. Once drawn, you take them to a patternmaker, also known as a ‘modeliste’, and he/she will make

a ‘toile’. This is a test garment made from cotton canvas, and is a very traditional formula for the fashion world, used to preview what the final garment will look like.

Once the modeliste has made a number of toiles, you arrange to have a fitting session with a model – size 10, height 5ft 7 or eight inches.

While the model is wearing the toile, you make your alterations.

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PAUL COSTELLOE

heavy paper or card, the pattern will be used to create your first sample, made through your sample unit.

This long process continues as the fabrics you ordered from the trade fairs come in, from early October right on through to the opening of the fashion show. It does kill Christmas and skiing holidays, and it can be a very pressurised, challenging time so it’s not for the faint hearted. It’s also somewhat of an anti-climax when the curtain closes, your 15-minute show has ended and you have to go straight back into work to begin on the next season.

The invites to a catwalk show are very important; it’s tricky deciding who to include.

Of course, you want to invite celebrities, as they bring an exciting vibe to the show, but what’s even more important is inviting buyers and the ‘business side’ of the fashion world. Why would you create a collection if there are no buyers?

You are trying to promote a product to develop your brand and they are the people to help you do it. So you need to have a good balance between the ‘business’ and the ‘glamorous’ side of the fashion world, as well as obviously photographers and journalists.

Earlier this year I had the privilege of showcasing my AW13 Menswear Collection

at the London Collections: Men. I had an installation at the Hospital Club where I previewed the highlights of my range.

The collection draws inspiration from the Cheltenham Festival and is a blend of tweed blazers, checked deconstructed jackets and a bold mix of clashing bright trousers. Layering is also key to the collection, with a mix of Georgian jacquard waistcoats, chambray shirting and classic covet Epsom coats, with graphic tweed checks, to create the ‘classic British gentlemen’ look.

Fashion is a dream that can turn into a commercial global business. I’d like to wish all those involved in London Fashion Week, which starts on 15 February, the very best of luck. paulcostelloe.com; follow Paul on Twitter! @paulcostelloe or @paulcostelloeuk, and don’t forget to go online on 19 February to see Paul’s designs and catwalk inspirations.

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SYLVIE QUENTIN

SHOP ONLINE sylviequentin.com Dublin +353 86 2434611 | London + 44 7931 749727 King’s Road, Connaught Village, Kensington Church Street

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No woman’s an island Sons and mothers, husbands and pets, island girl India Hicks talks family ties to Edwina Langley

T

he last time I interviewed India Hicks was from her Central London home in 2010. I distinctly remember her face lighting up with a devilish grin as she told me ‘I have bullied my mother into doing her memoirs.

She’s furious with me because she really didn’t want to do them. But she has to.’

It seems timely therefore, that the next time I should interview her should be when her mother’s book – Daughter of an Empire – is hot off the press, holding pride of place in bookshops nationwide. ‘Yes, she was ‘bullied’ into doing them by me,’ India says again over the telephone from her main home in the Bahamas. ‘I think she’s exhausted by the experience, but pleased to have done it. We’ve had phenomenal sales, but she’s refusing to do another interview or book signing. There’s a very nice offer for an edition in America, so it will be launching there in September. I am hoping she’ll put her feet up and have a strong cup of tea – then face America.’

Like her mother, and indeed grandmother before her, India takes no prisoners. Daughter of the renowned decorator David and Lady Pamela Hicks, granddaughter of the Earl and Countess

of Mountbatten, it’s almost a given that India would grow up to be strong-willed and determined. From her home in the Bahamas, she runs a boutique and e-commerce site, designs fine jewellery – Love Letters – collaborates with Crabtree and Evelyn, is the face of Viyella, acts as a hotelier, and is mother to five children.

‘Just put ‘designer’ as a general thing – and then ‘mother,’’ she says pointedly when I ask her what her official profession is.

Her familial duties however, are what’s most important, evident through the time she takes to update me on her mother (and later children’s) progress.

‘My mother wrote the book very much for the grandchildren. I felt that there was a wider audience. It was very unique life, she’s had a very unique perspective – but she’s moved with the times. She grew up in the most extraordinary household (reams of servants and characters coming in and out) with very dynamic parents who were on the stratosphere of the world. I think it is extraordinary to see the childhood that she had, which was possibly a little lonely, without much warmth and emotion. She just got on and coped, and I think there is a lesson to us all...’

She is referring, I imagine, to the rather difficult relationship Pamela had with her own mother, Edwina. ‘I never liked her,’ Pamela revealed in a recent interview.

Perhaps this explains why she was adamant her relationship with her own children would be the antithesis to that which she had experienced. ‘Because I was the youngest child, she was at home when I was growing up, so we got on very well,’ says India. ‘We share the same humour and we like to travel. David [Flint Wood, India’s partner and father to her four children] would say it’s all about dogs and chocolate, but it goes a little further than that. I thought I knew her very well, but the book was surprising. I was reading the voice of a 17-year-old, rather than the mother I’d grown up with.’

Attentive childhood she may have had, but as a teenager, India was a self-professed tomboy. Godchild to the Prince of Wales, much has been made of her dislike for the bridesmaid’s dress she was forced to wear to his and Lady Diana’s wedding; she even went so far as to chop off her waist-length hair for the occasion.

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‘It’s a long and an unusual journey and I don’t think we have any of the answers yet’

island, designing love jewellery and modelling quintessentially English and indisputably feminine clothing. ‘When I last modelled for Viyella it was a freezing cold day in England,’ she says girlishly, ‘and we were shooting the Summer Collection – in Kent, believe it or not... I’m very fond of Viyella. I feel there is quite a connection.

A lot of the partnerships I’ve taken on have a strong British affiliation. Even though my life is quite diverse, there is always that British thread that runs through it all.’

She needn’t have said it for most of our conversation revolves around England in some way. She tells me one of her favourite shops is Green & Stone on the Kings Road and recalls fond memories of visiting The Enterprise on Walton Street with David and his father. ‘Yes, I still feel very strongly tied to England. Two of my boys go to school there, and as my other two children are in the American system (which breaks up earlier), we come over to England to get the best of the British Summer. We take with us our wonderful, blessed son Wesley (our Bahamian foster kid) to things like Henley – it’s really exciting to see him experience those things.’

The story of Wesley’s adoption is a heartfelt one. His biological mother, Lynne Cleare, was a Bahamian waitress, pregnant at the same time India was expecting her first child, Felix. They ‘noticed each other,’ she said in interview last year. As a young child, Wesley visited the Hicks/Flint-Wood household,

but stopped coming at the age of 12 when his mother moved to Nassau. Eighteen months later, India bumped into him by chance, where he broke down and revealed Lynne was dying of breast cancer. Ten days later, she tragically passed, and in a dramatic turn of events, India agreed to take on Wesley as her own.

‘It’s a long and an unusual journey and I don’t think we have any of the answers yet,’ she says cryptically, ‘but he is a fully fledged member of our family.’

Through her children, her relationship with her mother and even her work – Love Letters in particular – it is evident that this headstrong former tomboy has a great capacity to love. ‘I found a three week old kitten on our beach path after a rainstorm the other day. I should have rung its neck there and then. It’s now living in our house.’

So what’s left to ask except what will lie in store for her on Valentine’s Day? I wait in anticipation for an epic response. ‘David,’ she hollers, ‘Edwina wants to know how we celebrate Valentine’s Day.’ A brief pause follows. ‘His quote is ‘institutionalised affection.’ Yup, I have to live with that!’ she laughs. ‘In all seriousness, we don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but there is a hugely romantic side to David. He once gave me a painting which read, in big graphic font, ‘I Love You’.

But I left it outside my garage door by mistake and it was stolen. Let’s hope some Bahamian is appreciating a modern piece of art – a painting with ‘I Love You’ on it.’

To some, the theft of a love token would be rather a sore subject, but not to India. There’s just no point attaching sentiment to an object of love when one’s life so much encompasses the real thing.

India Hicks is the face of Viyella; viyella.co.uk

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FOOD&TRAVEL

Fit for a Queen Chief Executive of The Goring Hotel, Jeremy Goring, talks to Edwina Langley about sheep mascots, what guests leave behind and ‘that’ wedding

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es, we’ve got naked photos in the loos and a lot of things people could complain about. I mean, if I still worked for the Four Seasons, I’d have been fired.’

Executive Director of The Goring Hotel, Jeremy Goring, is a journalist’s dream to interview. Laid back and relaxed, he infiltrates conversation with amusing anecdotes whilst ensuring the necessary blurb doesn’t come out like he’s reciting the hotel brochure. Of course when he says there are ‘lots of things’ that warrant complaint, what he means is, ‘not allowing laptops or mobiles in the communal areas,’ which 99 per cent of guests prefer anyway.

Sitting in the bar area waiting for Jeremy to arrive (he was chatting to some guests) I can’t imagine visitors would have much to complain about. Within minutes I had already been offered a drink, twice, and had also been presented with a rather delectable selection of bar snacks. As I stared at the barman at work, I was strangely drawn to his tie. In neat diagonal rows it featured the hotel’s ‘mascot’, the sheep. I had read about The Goring’s sheepish obsession, but had yet to discover how or why it came about.

‘The sheep mascot arrived one day when we ran out of some other animal,’ said Jeremy as we sat down in his cosy office, surrounded by a small collection of toy figurines, overlooked by a large model of Shrek. ‘That was in my Dad’s day. Now they’re everywhere. One guy broke his hip on one last year, when he was drunk, but he refused to sue us. He basically

the business with much of the joie de vivre for which it’s known today. Jeremy took over from George, his father, in 2005 and has continued to run the business with an equal measure of success. ‘I did feel pressure taking over from Dad,’ he confides, ‘but by the end of my first day I realised it was going to be really good fun. I had worked for Orient Express before, in some posh hotel in Australia, and also for the Four Seasons here and The Lanesborough, so I had had experience.

But not in this hotel; it’s completely different. We’re not particularly rigid – nobody wears a name-badge, people do things in their own way.’

A bastion of everything ‘old school’, Mr George’s legacy seems to be exactly that – people doing things in their own way, in a luxurious surrounding that strangely feels like home. ‘Yes, it probably started with my Dad who was a bit of an eccentric. Some of the things that he used to get up to were,’ he laughs a school boy laugh, ‘pretty ridiculous. I remember once it was one of the Queen’s Jubilees and he, about eight members of my family and I, were having dinner in the dining room. Someone spilled something on my Dad’s trousers and he told someone to bring him another pair. When

‘For us to have been a small part of that wedding, to be of some help, was amazing’ said ‘You know what? I broke my hip, I’ve been to hospital twice now for three months... [But] I love those god damn sheep otherwise I’d be suing you for half a million dollars.’ He is typical of the type of customer we get here.’

London’s oldest privately owned hotel, The Goring was founded in 1910 by O.R Goring.

Designed by John Evelyn Trollope, it was the last hotel of the period to be built in the style of Edwardian Baroque. It passed down to O.G Goring in 1926 and then on to the notorious George Goring – ‘Mr George’ – who injected

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they arrived, he got changed in the middle of the restaurant. I think guests never quite know what’s going to happen around here.‘ To hear Jeremy talk you would think The Goring runs like a sort of upmarket, very expensive Fawlty Towers. But, of course, it doesn’t. Journalist or not, I was a guest in the hotel, and since I wasn’t going to properly experience it, I got the feeling Jeremy didn’t want me to miss out. He was giving me an insight into its daily eccentricities, which, being English, didn’t sound eccentric at all.

Entirely normal, in fact.

It’s little wonder therefore, that this entertaining yet discrete corner of Belgravia was the chosen location for Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s, last night as a Middleton.

The world was watching as the bride-to-be smiled to crowds and let the hotel’s chic facade envelope her in a warm, pre-marital hug.

Whilst I was certain Jeremy would give away precisely nothing about what happened that night, I was jolly well going to ask anyway.

‘As you know we never talk about any

guests, but we were obviously involved in the Royal Wedding. It was fantastic. It’s something no one else on earth could do but the English. There are so many things we beat ourselves up about in this country, but when it comes to throwing a party, you can’t top us. So for us to have been a small part of that wedding, to be of some help, was amazing.’ Oh well, readers, I tried.

What I did manage to get out of him however, were the rather strange goings on that happen around the time of Valentine’s Day. ‘There’s proposing all the time,’ he says.

‘Everyone gets really nervous about it. I’m pretty sure we haven’t had a ‘no.’ It happens a lot in the restaurant, a bit in afternoon tea and, err... a lot in the bedroom. We get requests for things in bedrooms (a bit embarrassing to discuss) but the weird thing is some of the things get left behind! And we have to hold on to them – for six months! You can’t write to people to say ‘you’ve left something here’ as what if they were the wrong person? So we now have a stock room of bizarre things. I never ask Matron – our head housekeeper is called Matron – what she does with it. I don’t want to know. Move on!’

But I didn’t want to move on. It’s precisely that sort of ‘behind closed doors’ detail that I find fascinating. Like learning about Michael Bone, responsible adding sparkle to first time guests inaugural visit.

It all sounds heavenly, but it’s not quite fun and games. Jeremy references the ‘tumultuous two years’ they’ve just had, highlighted through 2012 headlines: ‘Goring goes into the red as it invests £3m in refurbishment.’ In a time of austerity, it can’t be easy for a five star hotel.

Still, I don’t get the sense Jeremy is particularly worried. ‘In 2013, we’d like a year to focus inwardly; look in detail at everything we do. We’d love a bit of peace and quiet.’

I stare bemusedly at a pair of bongo drums in the corner. Jeremy laughs. ‘I wanted to play the drums so I joined a Reggae band. I was soon demoted to the bongos – they turn the mikes down to almost zero when I play...’

A bongo-playing hotelier of a five star hotel? It sounds almost nuts. But it’s not nuts, it’s eccentric, and therefore English. As we go to press, I learn The Goring has been awarded a Royal Warrant by the Queen, the first ever for a hotel. I leave in no doubt it’s in very safe hands indeed.

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CLOSE TO THE BONE Once upon a time, 90 million years ago‌ Fossil collector Dale Rogers talks to Edwina Langley about Morocco, Medusa and finding adventure in Afghanistan

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‘When I got back to England, I knew I o say the word ‘fossil’ is to instantly needed money to get back out to Morocco, think: ‘old – millions of years old.’ so I started working in every way I could. I To say the words ‘fossil collector,’ didn’t have backing or anything, it was all is to imagine a person rather like self-funded.’ that which they collect: old – millions of years He took me on a tour around his gallery – a old. I was en route to meet such a fellow, fully poor description of the space for it’s more prepared to find a white bearded gentleman, all like an Aladdin’s fossil cave – and picked out spectacles and magnifying glasses, sitting in a pieces to tell stories about. Undoubtedly the dimly lit room, stuffed with second hand books. most impressive was the ‘Atlas Medusa’, a So, to meet Dale Rogers, the museum piece comprising over 200 separate 40-something Sean Bean look-alike, was ammonites, on display in the shop window. strangely disconcerting. Eyes sharp as an ‘It was discovered five years ago in the Atlas eagle’s, a face weathered by what could Mountains, pretty much how it’s laid out only be adventure, Dale has a manner that is strangely intriguing but instantly TOP TO BOTTOM: NORTH trustworthy; if he told you to take the LONDON WAREHOUSE, FOSSILISED CROCODILE, rackety bridge over that treacherous THE ATLAS MEDUSA ravine, you’d do it and not ask questions.

Dale Rogers began fossil collecting in 1986, before which, he tells me, he was doing all manner of things. ‘I had been travelling a lot and dabbled in antiques for a while. At the time I arrived at fossils, I was doing landscaping, roofing, things like that, all over East Anglia. I had also worked as a chef...’

The official story was that Dale found himself in a Moroccan café, in the mid eighties, staring at the table he was sitting at. Its surface was a 350 million-year-old stone containing ammonite and squid fossils. He was instantly entranced and from there, his passion sprung.

The story he told me, however, was slightly different. We were standing in the downstairs gallery of Dale Rogers Ammonite on Pimlico Road, when he disappeared upstairs to get something.

Returning moments later, he handed me a black and white coloured fossil marble. here,’ Dale said, in a voice so calm and quiet ‘I found this in a bazaar in Tangier, 25 years it could have been a whisper. ‘It took four ago. It’s called an Orthoceras. They sell them years to excavate, a project which finished in stalls but it wasn’t just tat for tourists. I in December last year. It weighs about two looked at the clarity of it and thought, ‘wow!’ tons, but was originally eight. It took years That’s how it all started for me.’ He stroked of preparation work, re-piecing it together, the smooth surface of the oblong marble. block by block. It would probably put me in a ‘Here,’ he said, ‘have it.’ mental hospital if I had done it myself.’

‘I couldn’t possibly,’ I replied.

I stared at this 90 million-year-old ‘No, have it. It’s quite alright,’ he repeated. mammoth medusa (it did look like a medusa) I picked up the black and white weight (for and considered that now I knew the work want of a better word) and considered what involved to get it there, it’s £900,000 price tag the giving of it to me, told me about Dale. seemed more than reasonable.

Either he is extremely generous, unbelievably He turned his attention to the Lapis Lazuli, pragmatic (he found it, it inspired him, he one of the largest pieces to ever come out of doesn’t need it), or else, he embellished a little Afghanistan. ‘The quality is exceptional,’ he and it wasn’t the exact one he found. It didn’t explained, ‘and the scale of it too. I was out in matter which it was, of course, but it bothered Afghanistan last year, but I couldn’t get in to me that I didn’t know, for beguilingly, it the quarries, it was too dangerous. I’ve been added more to the mystery of the man.

working with the guy who found this for 11 years. There’s no war up in the north where the quarries are, but it’s still difficult. Partly due to the government and also the warlords.

The warlords will change in certain areas, then the government changes, and each insists on taking the quarries back.’

He patted the stone. ‘This had to get half a mile down a very steep cliff face, then across a river to some mules, and from there, to the vehicles. If you can get it out of the mine, down the mountains, down the stream, you’re away.’

‘Yes,’ I thought to myself, ‘if…’

‘There were a few scary moments when I was there,’ he continued. ‘I went with a [mountain development] organization, ICIMOD, because my friend is their photographer. When we first arrived, jet-lagged, we stayed in guest houses (which were actually safe houses). We’d been there for just two hours when we heard this almighty crash. We thought to ourselves ‘oh my God!’ Thankfully, it was only lightening. The second one was when we were talking to some local farmers and word got out that there were two Europeans asking questions. We were asked to leave and we didn’t hang around. The Afghans themselves were fascinating. The older generations could speak English but we had a translator.

He wasn’t armed, which was a bit worrying, but I later understood it made us less of a target. It was an amazing trip.

I am tempted to go back.’

Yes, Dale is precisely the sort of person to be ‘tempted’ by fossil-collecting near a war zone; in fact, he is precisely the sort of person a Hollywood director would make a film about doing just that.

I’m just sad there’s not space enough here to tell of his knowledge of Morocco, how he despairs that many countries don’t care for their fossils and just let them rot in unkempt museums or get crushed during mining. Not space enough to describe his warehouse in north London nor explain why shark fossils are so rare. But perhaps that’s a good thing; you’re more likely to visit yourself.

‘There’s lots of scope for interior designers,’ says Dale, ‘although I do get attached to the pieces. I’d say I’ve become a bit of a hoarder.

My dream is to build a house to fit it all.’

I wonder what that would look like.

Staring in awe at his treasure trove of a gallery, I’d say he’s halfway there already.

Dales Rogers Ammonite, 77 Pimlico Road, SW1, 020 7881 0592; dalerogersammonite.com

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HYPOXI®-Studio Fulham 3 Farm Lane, SW6 1PU 0207 385 8885 info@hypoxifulham.co.uk hypoxifulham.co.uk

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HEALTH&BEAUTY THE ORGANIC PHARMACY

The Stress Management Programme at The Organic Pharmacy begins with an in-depth health Q&A, addressing both physical and mental grievances. Next, it’s a high-tech scan, strapped to the forehead, hands and feet. The device highlights all problem areas – your basic BMI, hormonal depletion and metabolic rate.

A fascinating insight into one’s inner workings, any minor stress concerns are then eradicated by a lengthy Stress Relief Massage, which focuses directly on the face, neck and shoulders. You leave feeling revitalised and rejuvenated. Well worth a visit. £220 for 150 mins, 396 Kings Road, SW10, 0207 351 2232; theorganicpharmacy.com

Beauty Confidential Top relationship tips, perfect skin for skiing and the ultimate stress buster programme

Apres Ski

Beauty expert Wendy Rowe tells us how to stay beautiful on the slopes

I

just got back from my first skiing trip in the beautiful Megève, France. Perfect for an active break, it was a great and magical place to learn how to ski – with some help from my very patient and talented instructor, Beatrice. On the slopes, skiing felt like riding a horse – exciting but scary. I never knew what was going to happen next. Rarely in control, it was a relief for me to be in control of something at least – my skin. I hereby enclose my top tips for maintaining a healthy glow on the slopes.

• Layer my favourite Joelle Ciocco Cerat oil under sun cream to nourish skin

without producing blemishes. £111.35; colette.fr • Camouflage red noses from the wind and combat cold weather with Vichy Dermablend Ultra-Corrective Cream Stick. £19; boots.com • Ideal for sensitive skin, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF50+ Melt-In Cream will protect skin from extreme UVA and UVB rays. £12.75; escentual.com • Lips are often the first to feel dry in extreme conditions, so nourish and protect with La Roche-Posay Nutritic Lips. £6; boots.com • Soothe, cleanse and repair skin before bed with SKII Facial Treatment Mask each night. £82 for a pack of 10; harrods.com wendyrowe.com; follow Wendy on Twitter! @wendyrowemakeup

3

OF THE BEST BRONZERS

Bobbi Brown, Bronzing Powder, £27; bobbibrown.co.uk

Benefit, Hoola, £23.50; benefitcosmetics.co.uk

5 STEPS TO A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP THIS VALENTINE’S DAY 1. Being able to communicate well with your partner is key to a happy relationship. Make some time regularly to really listen, as well as talk, about both the easy and more challenging things in your lives.

2. Honesty is a fundamental element and being able to speak freely and honestly creates a greater level of intimacy and trust.

3. Make time for your relationship. Think how much effort we put in at the beginning. If Barack can find time to for a date night each week with Michelle, what’s your excuse?

4. Deal with conflict at the right time – as it arises – and remember that forgiveness is key to making a relationship work. Ignore this and old hurts will resurface and stop you, as a couple, fulfilling your potential.

5. Have a balanced and healthy relationship by making sure you develop your own interests and spend time with friends and family. This helps keep the relationship interesting.

Janet Murray, Relationship and Life Coach.

0844 870 7928; janetmurray.com

Rimmel, Natural Bronzer, £5.59; rimmellondon.com

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Skin Solutions The Waterhouse Young non-surgical medical aesthetic clinic offers you an holistic approach from the moment you step inside the clinic.

We understand your skin and we appreciate the psychological boost you gain when you have brighter skin and a more youthful appearance.

Treatments include: •

Anti-wrinkle injections

•

Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating to underarms, feet and hands)

•

Dermal Filler injections

•

Genuine Dermaroller

•

HydraFacial

•

Obagi Skin Systems

•

Intraceuticals Oxygen Infusions

(non-laser skin resurfacing)

with Boosters •

SkinCeutical Face Peels

•

Thread Vein treatments

•

SkinCeutical and HealGel skincare ranges

Absolutely readers

will receive a complimentary consultation and computerised skin analysis with our aesthetic doctor (worth £100)

Plus

20%

discount

for any treatments booked on the day FEBRUARY CONSULTATIONS ONLY

Call: 020

7486 3849

for a complimentary consultation

www.waterhouseyoung.com21 Devonshire Street, London, W1G 6PBinfo@waterhouseyoung.com@Waterhouseyoung WHY.MOCK UP.V2.2.indd 2

21/01/2013 17:06

INTERIORS

LSA, B £36; lsa OUQUET V -interna A tional.co SE, m

8

OKA, CABBAGE JUG , £39; okadirect.com , TON OULER D L SE, A T ROYRCHESBUD VA m L O o D STA wrd.c CRY50 ; uk.w £37.

of the best

VASES

Say it with Flowers

GEO MAS RG JENSE PRECTERPIEC N, VASE IOUS MAES , £65; jo M hnlew A is.com

LINLE VASE, £Y, CR ACKLE 550; david linley.com

AT, HABIT CH VASE, T A R SC at.co.uk £20; habit

WAT JOHNERFORD VASE ROCHA , CRYSTA L B , £295 ; johnle LACK CU wis.com T LLINE RYSTA C , I K OVS ski.com SWAR, £399; swarov VASE

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INTERIORS THE EDEN PROJECT

Owing to Joe Wright’s visually exquisite 2012 film, Anna Karenina, both the fashion and interiors world have nodded strongly to Russia’s imperial aesthetic of red and black. De Gournay, whose wallpapers and textiles featured heavily in the film, recently launched The Eden paper. Part of their ‘Papiers Peints Panoramiques Collection’ this is a reproduction of a mural of the same name, published by Desfosse (1861), designed by Joseph Fuchs. It shows virgin rainforest in vibrant detail.

Le Eden in Coral Colourway on scenic Xuan paper, comes in panels 91.5cm wide, £1,693 per panel in average height category B. 112 Old Church Street, SW3; degournay.com

Interior Inspirations

Interior designer, Tara Craig, brings us Valentine ideas inspired by Russia, with love SQUIGGLE IT

Vivienne Westwood’s striking Revolutionary Cape, certainly takes its influence from Tolstoy’s Russia. Add a little Westwood drama to an interior with her Squiggle wallpaper, part of her daringly and contemporary collection, designed for Cole & Sons. Revolutionary Cape by Vivienne Westwood (catwalk image, right), Squiggle Wallpaper, Vivienne Westwood, £67 per roll (10 m x 53 cm). Cole & Son, Ground Floor 10, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Lots Road, SW10; cole-and-son.com

IN VOGUE

Fashion and interiors always interchange, yet thankfully for us decorators, at a slightly more manageable pace. In its second edition, ‘Vogue Living, Houses, Gardens, People’, gives insight into the homes of style makers that set the cultural trends. Edited by Hamish Bowles, £60. Daunt Books, 158-164 Fulham Road, SW10, 020 7373 4997; dauntbooks.co.uk

BUTTERFLY EFFECT IKAT NAP

Add a touch of warmth and romance to any sitting room or bedroom with this stunning brown and red Ikat from Luke Irwin.

Brown & Red Ikat, 2.43m x 3.05m, wool & silk, £8,004.

22 Pimlico Road, SW1W; lukeirwin.com

‘I almost wish we were butterflies and liv’d but three summer days – three such days with you I could fill with more delight than 50 common years could ever contain.’ John Keats, Bright Star. Originally created as an anniversary love token for his wife., photographic artist, Casey Moore, has issued two resized editions of this etherial image, taken on a vintage large format camera and in the larger of the two editions, hand printed.

It perfectly depicts the transient beauty and fleeting fragility of Keats’ words. Dalston Butterfly, Edition of 20 16’ x 20” digital fibre prints at £390, Edition of 4 40’ x 50” fibre-based silver gelatin hand made prints at £2,300; caseymoore.com

DRINK UP

Add some French sophistication to a bathroom with a Collection Pierre’s Lacquered Champagne table. They look divine next to any freestanding round top bath and when replete with Champagne, would be the perfect indulgence for Valentine’s night.

‘Message In a Bottle’, £3,400. Collection Pierre, 46 Bourne Street, SW1; collectionpierre.com FOR FURTHER INTERIOR IDEAS, VISIT: TCRAIG.CO.UK

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INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED

CUSTOM MADE

BY

WYNDHAM

WARDROBES DRESSING ROOMS CONSOLES MEDIA CABINETS STORAGE SOLUTIONS STUDIES

WWW.WYNDHAMDESIGN.COM

0208 899 6609 CHISWICK PARK

FULL PAGE.indd 2

LONDON

W4

25/01/2013 11:49

Exhibition sponsored by

FULL PAGE.indd 2

22/01/2013 15:44

INTERIORS

Get the LOOK Soane Britain founder, Lulu Lytle, shows us how to get the look of her chic boho sitting room

ANTIQUE LAMP

Westenholz have a fantastic selection of 18th- and 19thcentury antique lamps, like this cast bronze and pink glass column table lamp. £1,200, 20 Pimlico Road SW1, 020 7824 8090; westenholz.co.uk

SIDE TABLE

If you’re after a side table for the end of a sofa, try Soane Britain’s new Flamberge Circular Table. £5,250, 50-52 Pimlico Road, SW1, 020 7730 6400; soane.com

THE BUNNY SOFA

For a fun and funky sofa try The Bunny Sofa (pictured £6,900; soane.com) or Howe London’s Camel Back Sofa. Both have fantastic depth, perfect for entertaining.

Howe London, 93 Pimlico Road ,SW1, 020 7730 7987; howelondon.com

WALL HANGINGS

Wall hangings are big at the moment and you can find some fantastically affordable options on the Portobello Road. This one would hang well in a bedroom or study (£4,800; soaneantiques.co.uk) or you could try Joanna Booth, 020 7352 8998; joannabooth.co.uk

INTERIOR DESIGNER: Lulu Lytle, Soane Britain, 50-52 Pimlico Road, SW1W; 020 7730 6400, soane.com INTERIOR_Get the look.indd 71

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How did the gardens grow?

Keeper of the Inventory at London Parks & Gardens Trust, Sally Williams, tells the history behind Chelsea and Fulham’s treasured gardens

M

uch of Chelsea and Fulham is characterised by their proliferation of leafy private squares, the product of Victorian housing development, laid out with an eye to encouraging the discerning buyer. Historic green sites like the Royal Hospital, Chelsea Physic Garden, Fulham Palace and adjacent Bishop’s Park, and the Hurlingham Club Grounds, are well-known but beneath the grass and paving stones of historic Chelsea and Fulham lie fragments of history. Bringing these to light has been an essential task of London Gardens Online.

At Fulham, there is evidence of over 2,000 years of human activity, with a Roman settlement on what is now Fulham Palace Meadow Allotments, SW6, as a result of which plot-holders are not permitted to dig too deep. However, produce flourishes today on this land once used by Saxon farmers and as grazing for the Bishop of London’s beasts.

The granting of land for allotments was part of an early Dig for Victory campaign in the First World War, following which the incumbent Bishop agreed to continue this use.

Village greens, such as Parson’s Green and Walham Green, SW6, recall the old hamlets that once existed. The history of England’s

ENGLISH GARDEN

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FOOD&TRAVEL GARDENS

STANLEY CRESCENT

St Luke’s Gardens, SW3, started life as the churchyard of the new Chelsea parish church of St Luke, built in 1820-24 when the medieval parish church fell into decline. After the burial ground was closed, the site was acquired in 1887 and laid out as a public garden to designs of the Borough Surveyor, plants supplied by Messrs. Veitch. However, prior to this, Fanny Wilkinson, one of the first female landscape gardeners and responsible for the design of

many gardens, including disused churchyards, is known to have drawn up plans for laying out the burial ground.

When St Luke’s was built All Saints Church, SW3, became known as Chelsea Old Church. Monuments in the churchyard include that of Sir Hans Sloane, who had purchased the Manor of Chelsea in 1710. In front of the church is an area of landscaping with a statue of Sir Thomas More, who

EMERY WALK

EDWARDS SQUARE

commonland dates back to pre-Norman Conquest, part of manorial lands where certain people were granted rights. Chelsea Green at the south end of Elystan Street, SW3, is all that remains of Chelsea Common, which once extended to what is now Fulham Road in the north and ran from King’s Road to Chelsea.

Development took place from the late 18th century and most of the Common Fields and Pasture were built on by 1836, leaving a small triangular area of fields and market gardens, themselves later built over. Today’s Chelsea Green is to the south of that remnant.

A number of London’s frequented public gardens were formerly old burial grounds.

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GARDENS

EEL BROOK COMMON, KINGS ROAD

lived in Chelsea. Nearby Roper’s Gardens – created as a public amenity on a bomb site following destruction of the buildings in 1941 – recalls the fact that the land was part of St Thomas’s gift to his daughter, Margaret, on her marriage to William Roper.

Dovehouse Green, SW3, is another former parish burial ground. Closed by 1882, it became a garden for inmates of the adjacent workhouse; following war damage the garden was developed, with a small part open to the public. It was named Dovehouse Green in

FULHAM PALACE GARDENS

1977 when it was re-landscaped for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, later refurbished for the Golden Jubilee, re-opening on 12 June 2003.

Finally, a fascinating burial ground that deserves attention is that of the Moravian church off King’s Road, SW10, established by Count Zinzendorf, Bishop of the Moravians, who in 1750 had purchased Lindsey House and the grounds of Beaufort House, both once part of Sir Thomas More’s estate. The burial ground, on the stable yard of Beaufort House, has remnants of Tudor brick walls.

LONDON GARDENS ONLINE

Learn more about London’s wonderful historic green spaces by visiting London Gardens Online.

Launched in May 2012, it was the brainchild of the London Parks & Gardens Trust – who, 15 years ago, decided to start the mammoth task of creating an inventory of the capital’s parks, gardens, squares, churchyards, cemeteries and other sites of historic interest. It now includes more than 2,500 site entries across all of London’s 33 Boroughs.

Approximately 130 of the Green spaces featured are in Fulham and Chelsea.

For more details, visit: londongardensonline.org.uk

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Grate Expectations has been established and successfully running for over 25 years and remains a family business.

Whether you're looking for a rare antique feature, a classic reproduction, or a truly impressive contemporary feature we offer you the technical advice & assistance required with full in house bespoke design fans and chimney lining a speciality.

1-3 Station Buildings, Kingston Road, Wimbledon Chase, London, SW20 8JT Showroom: 0208 540 8387

www.grateexpectations.com info@grateexpectations.com

CIF_Desire_K_134x90_CIF_Desire_K_134x90 10/01/2013 09:44 Page 1 LANDSCAPE GRATE EXPECTIONS.indd 1

17/01/2013 14:08

Showroom 100-102 Waterford Road, London SW6 2HA Showroom For further information and brochure 020 7751 0937 Showroom 100-102 Waterford Road, London SW6 2HA 100-102 Waterford Road, London SW6 2HA For further information and brochure 020 7751 0937 Purchase direct from the UK’s leading designer makers For further information and brochure 020 7751 0937

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CONFERENCE & EVENTS CENTRE Next to Town Hall •

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10.00am - 5.00pm Daily • Admission £5.00

www.desirefair.com

ADVERT PLACEMENTS.indd 2

OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE OVER 2 OVER 2

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28/01/2013 10:11 28/01/2013 20:47

Not just This Morning... but every morning

Marilyn Stowe is the senior partner at Stowe Family Law and resident family law expert on ITV’s This Morning.

Leading the UK’s largest dedicated family law firm, she has more than 30 years’ experience handling divorce cases and family law proceedings.

· One of the first solicitors to qualify as a family law arbitrator through the newly-formed Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (IFLA).

· The first Chief Assessor and Chief Examiner of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel.

· A Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers: a global association of lawyers recognised for expertise in their respective countries.

Located in WC1, Stowe Family Law specialises in family law issues and covers a wide range of cases.

From divorce to cohabitees’ rights, with dedicated international and children’s teams.

The team also offers mediation, arbitration and collaborative approaches and benefits from a specialist in-house forensic accountancy department that tracks down hidden assets and can provide immediate financial advice.

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

Stowe Family Law can help.

Contact 0207 7421 3300 or email chiefexecutive@stowefamilylaw.co.uk 8 Fulwood Place, Gray’s Inn, London WC1V 6HG www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk www.marilynstowe.co.uk

Stowe Family Law_FP.indd 1

12/11/2012 12:12

FOOD&TRAVEL

Master of macarons Dubbed the ‘Picasso of Pastry’ by French Vogue, pastry chef Pierre Hermé is a culinary maestro. Here he tells Absolutely about his new 2013 macaron range, Les Jardins, and what his wife can expect for Valentines Day

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You’re known as the ‘Dior of desserts’ – what does that mean to you?

I don’t know. It’s just in my nature to carry on.

Are you interested in fashion yourself?

Yes, very much so. My wife is a fashion designer and she owns her own handbag company. I am very interested in fashion because I love colours, playing with cloth and the elegance involved. I know a lot about it.

If you have to give one of your macarons to your wife on Valentine’s Day what would it be?

Possibly the Yasmine. The mango flavour in it is very sweet (it’s seasoned with lemon and ginger) but this sweetness is offset by two types of bitterness, jasmine and candied grapefruit. It’s very unusual.

We’re so excited to meet you. Tell us about your new range...

Every month has a macaron, and each macaron has a story!

The Jardin Sucre for February combines caramel and rose. Twenty-five years ago, I thought about the combination, in particular, rose flavouring, which is used a lot in Bulgarian cooking. One idea was raspberry, the other caramel. I thought that raspberry was better, so I left caramel to the side – it’s been there since 1987.

For March’s Jardin Du Maquis, I found an exceptional honey from Corsica. It smells similar to the Maquis shrub that grows there.

Les Galets are my very thin chocolates.

They are made the same way as chocolat bonbons, but they’re thicker. In the middle of the galets I included a range of difference flavours, from caramel to lemon.

You loved baking with your father, is that where your passion started?

My father spent all day in the kitchen, so in order to see him, I had to work with him. It was a good way for us to spend time together.

You loved making Tarte aux Quetsches with your father but you hated picking the fruit, is that right?

It is my favourite tart to eat, but going outside to pick the fruit – urgh – horrible!

You draw your macarons before you make them. Why? I draw everything first. It allows me to decide the ingredients proportions.

Do you keep all these drawings and recipes?

Yes, since 1984.

So, where do you put them all?

In my office, right behind me in a cabinet.

You must make a book out of them one day...

[Laughs] I rarely look back. Although occasionally I think back to past combinations I made a few years ago and revisit.

You have a shop in Belgravia. Do you like that area?

It’s great. There are a lot of new shops opening. It’s interesting because when we first

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FOOD&TRAVEL

arrived, there was just a Corthay, where I buy all my shoes. But now other businesses have opened. I like the Indian restaurant, Amaya, and also Ottolenghi.

What’s your favourite cuisine?

It’s difficult to choose as there are so many.

What?! A Frenchman, not choosing French cuisine as his favourite?

I love Chinese and Moroccan cooking. I eat mostly French, but I’m interested in other styles – Moroccan cuisine, when it’s done properly, is very good.

In times of austerity do you find people spend more on treats like your macarons?

Yes, because macarons are not that expensive.

For a great dinner you have to spend €200, but for a great macaron, it’s just €2!

You have numerous accolades, the ‘Youngest person to win France’s Pastry Chef of the year’ for example. That must have been very encouraging?

[Laughs timidly] You’re very modest...

No, I just don’t think of it as the final achievement. Not that I know what that is, I just want to keep going.

Do you have any idea where you’ll end up?

When we started the company, we didn’t want to open ‘a pastry shop’. We wanted to create a luxury brand that sells very outstanding pastries. That remains our goal.

Pierre Hermé, 13 Lowndes St , SW1, 020 7245 0317; pierreherme.com

Macaron Mogador To make 2kg of filled macarons

Milk chocolate and passion fruit ganache

• 280g passion fruit pulp • 42 g inverted sugar (Trimoline) • 575g Valrhona milk chocolate • 105g butter Cut the butter into cubes and leave it at room temperature. Chop the milk chocolate and melt it in a microwave. In a pan, bring the passion fruit pulp, with the inverted sugar, to the boil. Pour the hot pulp over the chocolate gradually, stirring at the centre and going wider to incorporate the liquid little by little. Pour in the remaining pulp and repeat the process. Using a thermometer, monitor the temperature of the ganache. When it’s below 40°C/104°F, add the butter and process with a stick blender. Leave the ganache to set at room temperature.

Passion fruit macaron biscuit

• 300g powdered almonds • 300g icing sugar • 110g egg whites, ‘liquefied’ at room temperature • 9g lemon yellow colouring • 1.5g carmine red colouring • 300g granulated sugar • 75g mineral water • 110g egg whites, ‘liquefied’ at room temperature Sift the icing sugar with the powered almonds.

Pour the first-mentioned quantity of egg whites and colourings without mixing first, into this mixture. Put the sugar in the mineral water and

heat to 118°C. As soon as the syrup reaches 115°C, start beating the second-mentioned quantity of egg whites.

Pour the sugar (heated to 118°C) over the beaten egg whites. Beat and cool to 50°C. Incorporate into the sugar-almond-egg white mixture, while letting the mass subside. Pour into a pastry bag with a plain tip (No. 11 nozzle).

Forming and baking

Pipe the mixture into circles (about 3.5 cm in diameter) spaced at 2 cm intervals on baking sheets, lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheets on a work surface, covered with kitchen towel. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Let the shells form a crust for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat a fan-assisted oven to 160°C. Slide baking sheets into the oven. Bake for approximately 12 minutes during which time, open the oven door twice, quickly. Take the baking sheets out of oven. Slide the sheets of parchment paper with the shells onto a work surface. Let them cool.

Assemble

Pour the ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a No. 11 plain tip. For each macaron, garnish one shell liberally with ganache, then cover with a second shell.

Store in the fridge for 24 hours. Remove 2 hours before serving.

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FOOD&TRAVEL

Restaurant REVIEW

Harriet Compston takes on Geales in Chelsea Green, whilst Edwina Langley dives into Sloane Avenue’s, La Poissonnerie

LA POISSONNERIE

W

hen it’s so cold outside you’re worried your nose might snap off, forget queuing for a restaurant too trendy to allow bookings. Forget also those menus which offer just two obscurely matched options: ‘lobster or hot dog’, ‘oysters or offal’. No, when the cold sets in, it’s time for comfort. And there is nowhere you are likely to find it in more abundance, than Poisonnerie on Sloane Avenue.

With carpeted floors decorated with lobsters, and landscape paintings from a bygone era, the restaurant is charmingly stayed. Little, you imagine, has changed in the last 20 years and little is likely to in the next 20 – at least that’s what owner, Italian born Peter Rosignoli, intends. Poisonnerie customers have been coming to this safe house in the heart of Chelsea for near on 50 years, precisely for that reason – they know what to expect. The food is classic yet interesting, the atmosphere, sophisticated yet comfortable, the waiters helpful, but not over-familiar.

It’s a winning formula.

Most of its success though is down to the menu, a fish-lovers wish list. I started with octopus for I never miss an opportunity to eat this delectable mollusc. It’s also an excellent test for a chef – overcook and it’s rubbery, undercook and it’s slimy. Mine, however, was spot on and nestled in a bed

of potatoes, smothered in a blanket of olive oil, only made it more gratifying. My date for the night had homemade ravioli with fresh lobster meat and salmon – ‘heavenly,’ she said. I thought the pasta could have been slightly thinner, but living with an Italian, my pasta standards are ridiculously high.

My main course of scallops ‘flamed with gin’ in a lobster sauce, was heavy, rich and buttery. January detox out the window, but hell, it was worth it – perfectly cooked scallops drowning in a coral sauce (mopped up with buttery rice) is what life is all about. My date went off-piste and ordered a Special – skate in caper and lemon butter – which slid of the fork. For pud we went French – Crêpes Suzette Maison au Gran Marnier – which was as classic as Crêpes Suzettes get.

Drenched in an orange sauce, it was sweet enough to offset citric acid, but not too sweet that it warranted fillings.

All washed down with a bottle of house white, it really was a supremely fine dinner. Perhaps too supreme, for I was so full afterwards, I practically rolled out the restaurant and vowed never to eat again.

I’m almost certain, however, I’ll be rolling back in again before too long.

Poissonnerie Oyster Bar & Fish Restaurant, 82 Sloane Avenue SW3, 020 7589 2457/5774; poissonneriedelavenue.com

GEALES

C

helsea Green and the seaside are not obvious partners. However, in the case of Geales, it works.

Tucked away in one of the intimate corners of the green, this fish restaurant sings of both sand and the Solent, carefully glossing over the hustle and bustle of SW3. The look is polished beach house – think panoramic windows and gingham blinds – balanced with an urban streak of slate-grey walls and black sleek chairs.

The menu is a reflection of said design: old fashioned with a injection of 2013 sophistication. Yes, there’s traditional fish ‘n’ chips but there’s dressed crab to boot.

The light bite of taramasalata & bread kicked off the action – with great success.

It was one of those moreish numbers you can’t stop dipping into. A generous pot of large prawns accompanied by lemon aioli swiftly followed. Juicy and plump, these crustaceans had obviously lived a happy life – a sure sign that, as the menu states, ‘all fish comes from sustainable sources’. Dressed crab was my partner’s main course but a disappointing one – ‘rather undressed’ came the judgement, but redemption arrived in the form of my warming creamy lobster spaghetti. The apple and blackberry crumble also did the trick – a fine delivery of the British classic.

Surprisingly though, it was the wine list which trimphed. ‘Standard’ was our initial thought but peering closer (and after a taste) we were seduced. So good, that it’s worth coming here for the drinks alone.

I tried the Chenin Blanc, Man Vintners, Western Cape RSA whose crisp notes beat any of my favourite New Zealand Whites hands down. There was also the choice of English sparkling wine – a delightful patriotic nod to Britain, and a toast to a country whose traditional seaside resorts rival any Caribbean counterpart.

Geales, 1 Cale Street, SW3, 020 7965 0555; geales.com

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Wynham.indd 1 Wyndham_SpaAd.indd 1

25/07/2012 15:11 24/07/2012 23:43

Ham House and Garden Richmond-upon-Thames alentine s treat - house tours eaturing nna arenina costume e hibition

14 ebruar , 7pm and 8.15pm reat your loved one to an evening tour of Ham House, featuring an e clusive look at the sumptuous costumes from romantic from romantic dramadrama nna nna arenina, arenina, out onout Bluonray Bluand ray and on 4 ebruary, follo ed by a glass of sparkling ine by candlelight. by candlelight.

Tickets £16 Booking essential

Registered charity No. 205846.

ADVERT PLACEMENTS.indd 3

Ham House and Garden Richmond-upon-Thames Ghost tours

5, 12, 19, 26 March, 7.30pm - 9pm Reputed to be one of the most haunted houses in Britain, discover the ghostly tales scattered through the history of Ham House. Includes drinks and canapés.

Tickets £22 Booking essential

To book: 0844 2491895

To book: 0844 2491895

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hamhouse

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28/01/2013 20:47

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FOOD&TRAVEL SUNDAY BEST

We love Sunday roasts but sometimes the prospect of having to cook them ourselves is just too taxing for words.

Cubitt House, the team behind The Orange and The Thomas Cubitt, have thankfully come up with a solution – the Sunday Roast Experience. For four people or more, have an entire roast brought to your table, ready to carve up yourself (or ready to let friendly staff do it for you). Delivered with all the trimmings – mountains of seasonal veg – we recommend booking soon as this is a cert winter winner. The Orange, 37 Pimlico Road, SW1 or The Thomas Cubitt, 44 Elizabeth Street, SW1, 020 7730 0070; cubitthouse.co.uk

Food notes Love lunch, love dinner, love liqueur

LE CRUESET HEART FONDANT CHOCOLATE CAKE

GET INTO THE SPIRIT

100g of chocolate 100g of butter plus a knob of butter for the moulds 3 eggs 50g of flour 100g of powdered sugar METHOD Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F/Gas mark 6.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Mix the sugar, flour and eggs in a separate bowl.

Add the melted chocolate-butter mixture.

Mix well.

Pour the mixture into the buttered, lightly floured, Le Crueset ramekin moulds.

Cook for 10 - 15 minutes until cooked on top, creamy inside.

Remove from the mould immediately and serve with a scoop of ice cream.

Bon Appétit!

Stoneware Heart Ramekin, £9; lecreuset.co.uk

DEAN-ER IS SERVED

Executive Chef of Bar Boulud, Dean Yasharian, is inviting us all for dinner. How could we possibly refuse? Over the next three months, places at three informal six-course dinners are up for grabs – The Truffle Dinner on 2 February, Best of British Seafood on 2 March and Spring in Season on 20 April.

Including dishes from both the London and New York menus, ‘Dinner with Dean’ is this season’s unmissable supper club.

66 Knightsbridge, SW1, 020 7201 3899 barboulud.com

So we know Champagne’s popular around 14 February, but if you’d like to try something different this year, you’d do a lot worse than a bottle of Gabriel Boudier’s Parfait Amour. The violet coloured liqueur was the drink of the 19th century, created using a medley of fresh fruit, floral extracts and a hint of citrus. Gabriel Boudier pays homage to this old classic through a new ‘secret’ recipe – a sweet but un-sickly liqueur, perfect for enhancing a romantic cocktail and nicely sipped on its own as well.

50cl at £16.95. Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1, 020 7730 1234; harrods.com

DID YOU KNOW… RICHARD CADBURY PRODUCED THE FIRST BOX OF CHOCOLATES FOR VALENTINE’S DAY IN 1868.

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28/01/2013 17:48

FOOD&TRAVEL Island Special

Coast to coast Leo Bear is taken on a sensorial and culinary tour de force as the first British journalist to visit the new St Regis in Mauritius

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’m in a brand-new white Jaguar XJ speeding along the Mauritius coastline with the Indian Ocean on one side and a handsome Tic-Tac-proffering driver on the other, but all I can think about is the cold sensation creeping up my back.

As ramshackle towns with little more than a beaten-up épicerie or boulangerie give way to fields of sugar cane and vast stretches of forest, I gaze at tree-encrusted pitons rising like shards of green glass in the distance. But I still can’t shake the icicles rising up my spine.

‘What on earth is going on with my seat?’

I finally ask the driver. ‘Climate control’ he says with a chuckle. ‘The leather is injected with a state-of-the-art cooling agent.’ So far, so James Bond.

In fact, I am something of a spy today because I’m the first British journalist to see the new St Regis hotel on the southern tip of the island. They certainly chose their location well. Le Morne, a 550m mountain and one of Mauritius’ best-loved landmarks,

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provides a dramatic backdrop to the resort.

The surrounding area is a protected nature reserve with strict laws forbidding any new construction. But this didn’t stop the St Regis. Instead of building anew, they flattened an existing hotel and built on top of it matching its floor-plan inch for inch, right down to the little wooden jetty that protrudes from the beach. Accommodation comes in the form of chic thatched cottages arranged in clusters, or ‘villages’, each served by teams of butlers housed in elegant open-fronted wallpapered sitting rooms. A grand plantationstyle manor house lies at the centre of the hotel. Boasting a smart Victorian colonnade, it’s peppered with armchairs, perfect for an afternoon snooze or nibbling on scones with a pot of Earl Grey. The four restaurants sit shoulder to shoulder along the colonnade, giving the hotel a sociable, buzzy feel, and I can testify that the spaghetti bolognese at the beachside Boathouse restaurant is superb.

‘Simply India’ is the place to be though.

Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, one of India’s most famous exports, is whipping up a taste tornado in the kitchen with his daring modern dishes. Chicken tikka pie anyone?

As it happens, Kochhar is not the only VIC (very important chef) on the island. Last year, Shelina Permalloo (winner of MasterChef 2012) launched a Mauritian cookery school at Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa, and Tom Aiken is currently packing his Vilebrequins for a sojourn in March. There’s still time to book a master-class with him at the Royal Palm.

Food lovers checking into the Four Seasons Anahita get an altogether different treat in the form of keys to a convertible Mini Cooper and a pre-programmed Sat Nav route taking in various tea plantations and rum distilleries, concluding in Port Louis’ China Town.

On closer inspection, Mauritius’ ascending culinary standing is, for the most part, thanks to a prestigious cookery competition held each spring at the Constance Belle Mar Plage on the east coast.

Esteemed chefs from all corners of the globe battle it out for a clutch of modest silver trophies, but really it’s all about exchanging recipes (and sun bathing). Angela Hartnett and Bruce Poole of Chez Bruce have both taken part in the past, and this year, bets

are on Frances Atkins, one of Britain’s best female Michelin-starred chefs, bringing home a prize. Incidentally, the Belle Mar’s sister hotel, Le Prince Maurice, a little further up the coast, has recently undergone a transformation. With a new Sisley spa, a slate lap pool and an injection of Asian chic to the common areas, it’s looking better than ever. Repeat visitors will be pleased to hear that rooms retain a colonial feel with hardwood floors, wicker day-beds and marble bathrooms but new snazzy touches include Mac Minis and slightly lower beds (after complaints they were too high). The rest of the five-star big-name hotels will certainly be standing to attention. After a two decade reign, many are starting to look tired and if they want to compete with the handsome new St Regis, major refurbishments are required.

It seems that now is quite clearly the time to embrace a new generation of Mauritian luxury – gel-seated Jaguars and all.

Leo flew to Mauritius with Air Mauritius – airmauritius.com – and was a guest of Constance Le Prince Maurice.

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An isle of one’s own Harriet Compston discovers the art of taking it easy at a former sugar plantation on the Caribbean island of Nevis

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I

t is the stuff of legends. Christopher Columbus set eyes upon it, Horatio Nelson married on it and a newly divorced Princess Diana escaped to it.

Yes, the enchanting island of Nevis is ‘Queen of the Caribbees.’

The Antigua of 20 years ago, Nevis stands at just 36 square miles, and with only 10,000 residents, you can drive around it in 40 minutes. Here, vulgarity is out of the window; no hotel chains sprawl far and wide, no tourists are bussed-in daily and no tacky beach equipment strangles its streets.

Nelson once said, ‘I have always been a quarter of an hour before my time and it has made a man of me.’ The same can be said for this Caribbean pocket. It’s a time warp of bliss.

To see that Nevis is hidden away, one need only try to get to it. A plane to Antigua, a mini plane to St Kitts, a half hour road trip to St Kitts Harbour and a jolly boat ride later, you finally arrive at Nevis’ capital, Charlestown. A Nelsonian journey perhaps, but well worth the effort.

Four miles from Charlestown, past donkeys, coloured houses and crumbled buildings, lies the Montpelier Plantation and Beach. Dating back to the 1700s, this boutique hotel was formerly a sugar estate, which did indeed host the wedding of Nelson and Fanny Nesbit in 1787.

Now, over 300 years later, the plantation is sailing seamlessly and sensitively into the 21st century. There are 19 rooms (well, cottages really). All individually designed with a running Colonial chic theme, the look is light and spacious and each boasts sumptuous linen, Egyptian cotton and private verandas.

Ask for Cottage 15, where Princess Diana stayed soon after her divorce, for it parades the most incredible uninterrupted views. Further down the path is the hotel swimming pool – utterly sublime with ice cold drinks served up on tap. And whilst on the subject of service, if you’re imagining cloned, suited and booted, machine-like staff, forget it. Everyone here is natural, polite and genuinely courteous.

And now to the food; a triumph in its vast selection. Mixing French and Caribbean cuisine (think pan-seared snapper and key lime mille-feuille) the Nevis Restaurant 750 is definitely worth a visit. Their philosophy that ‘good food must be accompanied by an equally good bottle of wine’ is demonstrated by the inhouse sommelier, who provides excellent wine pairings. Best of all, however, is a candlelit dinner in the Mill Privée, the original sugar mill. Completely intact, it’s one of those rare experiences you are unlikely ever to repeat.

The hotel is family run – and animal run (there are two gorgeous labradors) – and therein lies the key to its success. You feel at home, relaxed and can spend all day doing nothing or indeed everything.

The hotel’s private beach nearby provides fantastic sunbathing on volcanic soil, the sea is warm like a hot bath, and Montpelier will do a delicious private picnic of grilled fish and all kinds of goodies, you need only ask.

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‘Best of all is dinner in the 300-year-old sugar mill. It’s an experience you’re unlikely ever to repeat’ Sun, sea and sand aside, there are still lots of adventures to be found. Charlestown provides a Georgian colonial hit, as the childhood home to Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States. The town sings of dignified elegance, cleverly harmonised by the island’s colourful culture. Hens scratch in the main street whilst market stalls with fantastical-looking fruit sit happily amongst the ‘OMG Desserts’ shop, the optimistically named ‘Super Foods Supermarket’ and the spiritual ironmonger whose shop window is sincerely emblazoned with a bible quote.

Yes, God reigns here, gospel style, and so little wonder Charlestown has an impressive array of churches. St James’ Windward, for example, houses one of only five black crucifixes in the world, whilst just down the road is St Thomas’, the first Anglican church in the Caribbean, built in 1643. Church is so popular in fact, that there isn’t even a market on Sundays – nobody would go!

For more of an adrenalin kick, Nevis Peak is the destination of choice. Up a 3,213ft potentially active volcano, it’s a hard hike – the most difficult mountain climb in the Caribbean – but unquestionably a visual wonder. Starting in dry humid forest, the area evolves into deep rainforest, which turns into a knee-scraping, rock-climbing, hardcore workout. It’s tough but super fun,

and at the top, a visitors book can be signed by all intrepid souls who have made it.

Enthralling, exciting, entertaining, Nevis is an island of many colours. So ‘splice the mainbrace’ as the Admiral would say, and set sail with immediate haste. For this magical land of hide and seek will not remain undiscovered for long.

Harriet Compston travelled to Montpelier Plantation & Beach with Cox & Kings (0845 154 8941; coxandkings.co.uk). A 7-night stay is priced from £1,795 per person including flights with British Airways, return transfers from St Kitts and breakfast daily. All activities can be arranged through the hotel – montpeliernevis.com.

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FOOD&TRAVEL Island Special

Anyone for tennis?

Gemma Billington brushes up on her backhand in the Antiguan sunshine

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he small West Indian island of Antigua has an intoxicating kind of beauty. From the moment you step into the stifling heat of its tiny airport, and are taken through the lusciously green landscape dotted with a mass of rugged houses of bright, tropical colours, you know you’ve arrived in the Caribbean.

Exotic birds, goats, cows and stray dogs dart precariously across the road and the curious eyes of fresh fruit street vendors peer through the car window. Curtain Bluff, situated on the southern coast of the island in St John’s, is a landmark resort not just for its unwavering popularity, but also due to its integral status in the community. The timing of my visit couldn’t have been more felicitous; it was the hotel’s 50th anniversary.

Curtain Bluff (named in homage to the ‘bluff’ landscape on which the resort is built and the curtain shape of the waves that crash against it) was constructed by pilot Sir Howard Hulford – a grand looking gentleman with colonel-style moustache – after he spotted the rugged site from the air in 1962. At this time the local

area, Old Road, was a poor and isolated fishing village. Though Howard died five years ago, he is spoken of both fondly and regularly, and his presence is widely felt across the resort. His vivacious widow, Chelle, is commonly seen around the hotel on her golf caddy as she chats with staff and guests. Their home at the peak of the bluff is the venue for our pre-tennis week cocktail reception and has undoubtedly the finest vistas of the area, enabling you to see as far as Montserrat and St Kitts.

A Caribbean getaway is obviously a tempting excursion at any time of the year, but my visit coincides with the famous annual Antigua Tennis Week, which I have gallantly signed myself up for. The illustrious sporting event initially began life as a professional island-wide tournament in 1975, but now draws a regular crowd of international enthusiasts and some of the biggest names in the sport. Organised by multiple Grand Slam winner Fred Stolle, the week is a mixture of friendly tournaments and tennis clinics, and is a unique opportunity for tennis buffs and amateurs alike (I am most

definitely the latter) to receive lessons from former world number one players.

As I discovered, there’s a reason why participants proudly sport Curtain Bluff Tennis Week t-shirts from previous years; the experience is addictive.

Throughout the week, tennis players are split into male and female groups and then separated into more manageable sized teams. During the clinics, the small groups are given a set amount of time on each court to practice a different skill with a different set of pros, before moving on to the next. Despite initially feeling like I had reverted to my gauche schoolgirl days when sport was not exactly my forté, I quickly got into the swing of things (excuse the pun) and found it to be a massively informative, enjoyable experience. It’s a slightly surreal notion to have a former world champion grab my arm and assist with my follow-through, and the encouraging and witty remarks of Mr Stolle (‘that one’ll bring rain’ – a comment on one of my many misguided, sky-grazing shots) added a jovial touch of informality.

In true Caribbean fashion, the attitude is

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incredibly relaxed. Participants are equally welcome to stick religiously to the clinic schedule or dip in and out as they choose.

The inevitably competitive nature such a sport imbues is countered with humour and gusto from both participants and teachers (a combination of international pros and Curtain Bluff employees) who all attend the many dinners, cocktail parties and soirées. They’re also more than happy to give an early morning one-on-one lesson too. The extra curricular activities available, such as cooking classes and trips to Shirley Heights, as well as the impressive line-up of water sports (water-skiing, scuba diving, deep sea fishing) make the temptation to skip a clinic awfully high. It’s also essential, if your muscles are feeling the strain of your sporting endeavours, to test the resort’s spa. Built just six years ago, it provides not only a range of luxurious treatments, but also boasts some of the most dramatic views of the area.

In all-inclusive resorts it’s quite easy to feel rather isolated. Guests are cocooned, separated from the outside world. Curtain Bluff however, has quite the opposite effect. Old Road would not be the region

it is today without the resort and viceversa. When Howard set up his hotel he didn’t just create a resort, but a charity and a home too, and this is reflected in the tennis week’s history. In Curtain Bluff’s early years, the local children used to collect the tennis balls that had been hit outside the resort. So the hotel invited them in and taught them to play.

This grew organically into the Old Road Fund, a charity that now sends local kids to American academies to assist with health and education initiatives. A number of Curtain Bluff tennis pros are former beneficiaries of this scheme. Visitors are advised not to tip, but instead, to donate money to the fund.

This charitable spirit lies at the heart of Curtain Bluff. Managing Director, Robert Sherman (who is more likely to be mistaken for a relaxed tourist, dressed in his daily uniform of shorts and t-shirt) is just as likely to carry your suitcase to your room as any other member of staff.

This is not a faux-polite gesture to appeal to guests, but a natural component of the resort. The infectious Caribbean spirit could be responsible for this lack

of ostentation, but it’s no doubt largely due to a love of the island, the people and the resort. This is clearly not just a job for any of the staff there. Perhaps this explains why a large number of them – Robert included – arrived in their early twenties and have simply never left. This also explains why, boarding the plane at the end of our short trip, I felt extremely reluctant to leave. Until next season.

Stay for seven nights, pay for five, at Curtain Bluff, Antigua from £2,525 pp based on two adults sharing a Junior Suite on a full board basis, including return economy class flights and private transfers. Book through ITC Classics, 01244 355 527 or visit: tcclassics. co.uk. Offer valid for travel completed between 18th May - 26th Jul 2013.

New for 2013, Curtain Bluff are delighted to introduce a brand new Fantasy Tennis Camp with Tracy Austin (29th April – 3rd May 2013). This year’s Antigua Tennis Week runs from 11th – 18th May. For details on all tennis events visit: curtainbluff.com/tennis/events.html

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FOOD&TRAVEL Island Special

Treasure Island Helen Baron visits Jade Mountain, where romance and relaxation reach luxurious new heights

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ARCHITECTURE

Jade Mountain is a structural marvel. The brainchild of architect and owner Nick Troubetzkoy, the resort is a triumphant achievement of singular depth, vision and beauty, incorporating the most extensive use of the ‘vanishing edge’ water feature not just in a hotel setting, but anywhere in the world.

Housed within a strikingly unusual complex set high in the luscious St. Lucian hills, Jade Mountain overlooks its sister resort, Anse Chastenet, and its stunning combination of organic architecture and breathtaking natural surroundings make it one of the most romantic destinations on earth.

The key to Jade Mountain’s architectural splendour is harmony. With 25 luxury suites (or sanctuaries) on six mountainside levels, another developer might have overwhelmed the surrounding tropical rainforest. Not Troubetzkoy, whose haven fits in so elegantly with the natural environment.

Twenty of the sanctuaries contain their

own infinity pool – though ‘contain’ is perhaps the wrong word when each room lacks a fourth wall. The rooms are open to the dazzling blue St Lucian skies, the endless Caribbean Sea and the glittering green rainforest below. It’s a jaw-droppingly luxurious feature and achingly romantic: imagine waking each day to warm tropical air and panoramic views of the volcanic Piton peaks rising high above the bay. Tiny, colourful rainforest birds dart into your room to pluck breakfast crumbs from your fingertips, and you can sunbathe unseen on your terrace. What’s more, each sanctuary is reached by its own bridge – so the sense of privacy is complete. Like an upscale Tracey Island, it’s straight from a sixties Bond film, without the one-eyed baddie.

ROOMS

The rooms are a tasteful tribute to Caribbean island life. All materials are sustainably sourced from local islands –

including sand and gravel, rose-grey tinted stone and a plethora of gorgeous tropical hardwoods. The pool tiles are made from recycled glass and each room boasts its own unique variety. In addition, there are no electronic ‘distractions’ to tear you away from the surrounding beauty. Okay, a wi-fi network is available for those who really need to check their email, but even the bathrooms are designed to maximise your interactions with the spectacular setting, with rainfall showers and chromatherapy spa baths perched above the living and sleeping areas, affording you some of the world’s most magical views as you soak.

SERVICE

The staff at Jade Mountain breathe new life into the well-worn idea of ‘service with a smile.’ From the team of butlers to cycling instructor (and guide to local flora and fauna) Tyson, every member of staff we encountered seemed genuinely proud of the resort and its

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facilities, and were more than willing to help make our holiday as perfect as possible. Even better, there was no stuffiness or over-thetop formality; the atmosphere was as relaxed and convivial as the service was incredible.

Special mention must go to assistant manager Peter Jean-Paul, whose care and enthusiasm never faltered.

What this means for couples is that Jade Mountain takes care of all the little details, allowing you to concentrate on each other.

Each evening while you dine at one of the resort’s several restaurants, the candles dotted around your room are lit and the bed turned down. You re-enter your sanctuary to find it transformed into an intimate, magical tropical hideaway.

Jade Mountain is a place to feel at one with the world

RESORT

Below Jade Mountain sits the 600-acre beachfront resort of Anse Chastenet, itself a world-renowned destination. Nestled in an exquisite hillside spot on St Lucia’s west coast, the resort consists of a scattering of French colonial-style bungalows set along the sandy beach. Guests can take advantage of all the facilities of Anse Chastenet, from its restaurants and scuba school to its

exceptional snorkelling and watersports.

We were lucky enough to enjoy the resort’s star attraction during our stay – a private sunset cruise (complete with tropical canapés and champagne) aboard the beautiful sailing yacht, Serenity.

By the time our cheery captain and his first mate had returned us to the resort, the lights were twinkling all over the mountain.

We trod a slow, happy path across the sand, wondering at how easy the staff made it all seem – choreographing our trip so we didn’t have to worry about anything. It’s all about learning to let go and embrace life, a delicious paradox that makes a stay at Jade Mountain as memorable as it is romantic, ensuring your holiday glow stays for a long time after you have returned home.

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Nightly rates at Jade Mountain start at US$1,275 per Sanctuary. Price is based on two people sharing a Sky, Star, Moon, Sun or Galaxy Jacuzzi Suite. All rates are subject to 8% tax and 10% service charges. Nightly rates at Anse Chastanet start from US $330 per night in a Standard Room based on two sharing. +1 800 223 1108; jademountain.com

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FOOD&TRAVEL ROCK ON

Most of us have imagined ourselves as a rock star at some point in our lives. So, it seems a shame that whilst our dreams never came to pass, we cannot still indulge them a little. Enter Villa Rockstar at Eden Rock, St Barths. Eden Rock offers guests the opportunity to record their own album in the villa’s very own recording studio.

Grammy award-winning producers and musicians (who have worked with such legends as Stevie Wonder) are on hand to assist with the creation of your first record or, better still, album. With a fully equipped gym, pool, private beach access, and a luxury Italian style kitchen, the villa’s not too bad either. From €15,000 per night. +590 590 29 79 99; edenrockhotel.com

TRAVEL NOTES THAT’S AMORE

Speak the language of love, or learn how to, at Masseria Torre Coccaro, a beautiful old farmhouse transformed into a luxury hotel in the heart of Puglia, Southern Italy. For four nights at half board, take part in eight hours of Italian lessons (just two hours each afternoon) learning how to perfect that allimportant Valentine’s phrase ‘ti amo.’ Your stay also includes access to the Aveda spa, the indoor pool, the Jacuzzi and Turkish Bath.

From €680 pp based on two adults sharing. +39 080 482 9310; masseriatorrecoccaro.com

WHITE TIGER

In the heart of the Swiss Alps lies the newly opened lodge, Tiger’s Nest, a skier’s haven perfect for those in search of a half term break. With five double bedrooms (and a master suite taking up the entire top floor) the lodge is ideally suited to two families of five. There’s room for a nanny, which means you can take full advantage of the indoor spa treatment room. A private chef dishes up a storm on six of the seven nights and a housekeeping service ensures all is kept spic-and-span.

From £1,680 pp, based on 10 adults sharing for one week. +852 9183 0667; tigersnestlodge.com

THE DUKE OF LOVE

If you are looking for a romantic weekend break without having to endure hours of traveling, look no further then DUKES, St James. The ‘Traditional Valentine’s’ package features 12 red roses and a bottle of champagne on arrival, suitable for those after an understated evening of affection. To really turn up the heat however, the ‘Forever in Love’ package is well worth looking into. In a Junior Suite, adorned with petals, spoil your loved one with their very own private butler, on-hand to deliver 18 red roses, champagne, a Buck’s Fizz breakfast and a private in-room dinner for two. If that doesn’t get your heart racing, nothing will.

From £222 pp for two nights based on a couple sharing. 0207 491 4840; dukeshotel.com 101

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With over 30 years experience within the Media and Entertainment sector, CCS prides itself on its’ excellent service and client discretion. Whether it’s a trip to the airport or a month on tour, we here at CCS are used to exceeding the expectations of our industry.

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+44 (0)within 7786 12 12 and Entertainment ith over 30 years experience the12Media Sector, CCS prides info@collinschauffeurs.com itself on it’s excellent service and client discretion.

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COLLINS CHAUFFEAURS.final.indd 2

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28/11/2012 14:19

28/01/2013 20:48

ABSOLUTELY PROPERTY FEBRUARY 2013

ONSLOW SQUARE, SOUTH KENSINGTON SW7 A fantastic opportunity to acquire a bright and spacious flat on the fourth floor of this centrally located South Kensington block. The accommodation comprises a reception room leading to terrace and separate kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, lift. Energy efficiency: Band D.

ÂŁ1,800,000 Leasehold

PROPERTY FRONT COVER.indd 103

020 7584 7020 knightsbridge@carterjonas.co.uk

28/01/2013 15:36

Local know-how. Better results.

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0 % Commission 100 % Local know-how ...and a commitment to getting you the best possible result - on the house! > More offices than any other estate agent in the Royal Borough, all working together

> Maximum exposure to the best buyers > London’s best negotiators > Award-winning customer service > Award-winning marketing > Over 150 years’ experience To celebrate the opening of our 7th office in the Royal Borough, we are offering to sell your property for free! For full Terms and Conditions, call us or visit marshandparsons.co.uk/sell-your-home-for-free

Best UK Estate Agent 2012

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Best UK Lettings Agent 2011

25/01/2013 16:49

Local know-how. Better results.

Our Offices: Balham Barnes

Battersea Brook Green Chelsea

Clapham Earls Court Fulham

Hammersmith Holland Park Kensington

Little Venice Mayfair North Kensington

Notting Hill Pimlico & Westminster South Kensington

Drayton Gardens SW10 £5,650,000 This large end of terrace house offers flexible accommodation arranged over five floors, comprising a striking double reception room, a contemporary kitchen, a large dining area, a master bedroom suite with dressing area and luxury bathroom, three further en suite bedrooms, an additional shower room, a large private terrace and off-street parking. Freehold. EPC=C. Joint Sole Agent.

CHELSEA: 020 7591 5570 sales.chs@marshandparsons.co.uk

Bramerton Street SW3 £2,950,000 This wonderful house is located on a very quiet Chelsea street, just off the King’s Road. Arranged over three floors, the property features a large double reception room that leads out to a small terrace and down to a pretty patio garden below, a fabulous dining room and kitchen, three double bedrooms, two bathrooms and a stunning roof top terrace. Freehold. EPC=E. Sole Agents.

CHELSEA: 020 7591 5570 sales.chs@marshandparsons.co.uk

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Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/marshandparsons

Join us on Facebook: facebook.com/marshandparsons

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

SALES

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

Selwood Terrace SW7 £2,950,000 Set back from the road, with a mature front garden, this fine period house offers generous accommodation over four floors comprising a large double reception room leading out to a terrace, a second reception room, a kitchen/dinning room leading out to a south west facing garden, three double bedrooms (one en suite), a further bedroom and a bathroom. Freehold. EPC= D. Sole Agents.

SOUTH KENSINGTON: 020 7590 0800 sales.skn@marshandparsons.co.uk

Stanhope Mews East SW7 £2,250,000 Located between Stanhope Gardens and Queen’s Gate, this spacious town house provides stunning accommodation arranged over three floors, comprising stunning open plan reception/kitchen/dining space, four large bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study area that could be made into a fifth bedroom and a fantastic roof top terrace. EPC=D. Freehold. Sole Agents.

SOUTH KENSINGTON: 020 7590 0800 sales.skn@marshandparsons.co.uk

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PROPERTY

RUTH BLOOMFIELD: SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE

PROPERTY NEWS CAROLINE HAWKING, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR HAMPTONS January has seen an unsurprising rise in activity levels after December having been typically quiet due to seasonal distractions. However, our corporate team has seen an noticeable increase of enquiries with better budgets. We’ve generated a surprising number of viewings on well presented modern apartments in Westminster with rental price tags in excess of £1,000 per week. Since Q3 2012 there has been a shift in the market in favour of Tenants as a result of greater supply, and this is reflected in their higher expectations on presentation and fixtures, fittings and furnishing. Forecast and commentary from several of the large London agents, including Hamptons, is of demand for quality above all else.

020 7834 7316; hamptons-int.com

D&G DIARY

Everyone thinks January is going to be busy, and it never is. The only discernible trend so far is that the agents aren’t getting to see a lot of potential new properties. Now that MAY change by the spring but I doubt it and it means what’s bad news for buyers is good for sellers.

We’re entering a sixth year of this new era and it is a mark of how cautious the agents are that many top end agents are predicting prices nominally flat or dropping in real terms. Given this year seems a repeat of last and we predicted 8% then why not the same in 2013?

Ed Mead, Director, 020 7225 1225; douglasandgordon.co.uk

In the race to persuade wealthy foreign buyers to part with ever more mind-boggling sums for central London flats, property developers have hit upon a new wheeze.

Forget cinema rooms, panic rooms and high-tech integral music and lighting systems – well, don’t forget them, they’re all still there.

But the latest way to woo buyers to Chelsea is by establishing, effectively, an in-house private sports club.

Take Alpha Place, 25 flats currently being built on Chelsea Manor Street which will go on sale off plan this year. The lateral apartments are huge, and the residents will also have use of a private pool and spa on site.

If you can’t wait for construction to complete then flats in Benham House, just off the King’s Road, already have access to extensive landscaped gardens, a swimming pool, saunas, gym and a tennis court Estate agents believe this kind of communal facility will emerge as the number one prime property selling point this year – in the super-competitive top end market gimmicks like 3D plasma TVs which pop out of the wall and dressing rooms with rotating shoe carousels are alone no longer enough to pique the interest of the global super-rich.

In the US, inevitably, they have already gone one step further.

Residents of the Hollywood Tower and its sister building La Belle in LA are treated to regular private pop concerts on their rooftop courtesy of the building’s management.

Recent artists have included Florence and the Machine, Mumford & Sons and Jane’s Addiction. And in New York residents of the Nicole building in midtown Manhattan enjoy free movie screenings.

Surely it can’t be long before this trend leaps the Atlantic. And then, for those who can afford these uber-prime blocks and don’t mind their neighbours seeing them sweating it out in the sauna or displaying their dance moves to their favourite band, there really will be no reason to go outdoors ever again.

Ruth Bloomfield

PRICING ACCORDINGLY

Once the uncertainties surrounding property related tax implications were clarified in Decembers budget announcement, we saw a marked increase in both the number of buyers and sellers who had previously been ‘sitting on the fence’. We are taking on a healthier level of new instructions compared to 2012, but this still isn’t quenching current buyer demand and we expect a continued underpinning of prices in the months ahead. That said, being too optimistic with asking prices can be detrimental to sellers as savvy buyers know what to expect for their money. I anticipate a positive, stable year ahead with potential growth of around 5-7%.

William Hughes Ward, Chelsea and South Kensington Manager, 020 7591 5570; marshandparsons.co.uk

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Absolutely

A LOST HOUR...

Having an hour to lose is rare, but for me spending any amount of time, rain or shine, by The River Thames is an idyllic way to spend it.

THE MOST FABULOUS COCKTAIL IS...

Emilia’s Delicatessen on the New King’s Road is quite different to what you normally find in the area. There are no big signs or flashing lights to attract custom, but it’s so unforgettable, just one visit will convince you to come back time and time again.

SW6



BEST KEPT SECRET

Come the cocktail hour, I love the Duke on the Green. A classic and contemporary pub with great food, beer and cocktails, especially their ‘Awesome Bloody Mary’, made with Grey Goose horseradish vodka - a fantastic winter warmer or summer cooler.

FAVOURTIE RESTAURANT...

A recent addition to the area, Boma Green is a stylish yet understated restaurant and bar that always delivers. With its comfortable and friendly atmosphere, it’s neither pretentious nor fussy and lets the quality of the food and wines do the talking.

Bovingdon Road, SW6, £2.25m. A classic ‘Lion House’ that has been totally transformed from its Victorian origins into a warm, stylish and functional family home in this really popular part of Fulham. Fulham is awash with great architecture and styles but there’s nothing quite like a home on the Peterborough Estate.

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD The rental market remained strong to the end of 2012 with the usual last minute rush just before Christmas and for early January starts.

We have started the year with great stock levels and hope that an increase in corporate demand will be good news for Landlords in 2013. The quality of good rental stock is still key and those that are well presented will be the fi rst choice for tenants. The demand for one and two bedroom properties is predominantly for furnished as it is the young, transient corporate tenant that dominates the market place. If your property is vacant at this time or for any period of time, take a look at the quality of décor and furnishings and see if this is the right time to freshen things up, so that your property stands out from the crowd.

Georgina Clarke, Lettings Director, 020 7828 4050; jackson-stops.co.uk

Palmer on the Fulham Road is not so much a boutique, but a really smart outfitter of classic style. Owned by Andrew Riddle, who is both knowledgeable and stylishly resourceful with his array of cool, quality clothing. Any excuse and I’m in there…





STYLISH MOST FABULOUS PROPERTY... BOUTIQUE

PETER SHAW, FULHAM GROUP DIRECTOR,

FEATHERSTONE LEIGH

020 7610 9755; featherstoneleigh.co.uk

STRUTT & PARKER AIM TO RAISE £100,000 FOR GOSH Strutt & Parker has begun a fundraising initiative in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital, its chosen charity for 2012/2013, with a launch event in Mayfair, London. The property firm will concentrate its fundraising efforts on the charity’s Raising the Roof appeal for the year ahead as it aims to raise £100,000 towards a new centre for neurosciences, in particular a dedicated patient interview room.

Property professionals as well as ex Scotland rugby player and Strictly Come Dancing star, Kenny Logan turned out to show their support. Great Ormond Street Hospital is

one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals with the broadest range of dedicated children’s healthcare specialists under one roof in the UK. The event featured a talk from Strutt & Parker’s Norman Black, whose daughter was a patient at the hospital, he spoke about the incredible work that the charity does. Kenny Logan was in attendance as a patron of the Raising the Roof appeal, which brings together the property and construction industry to raise vital funds for the new centre for neurosciences, part of the hospital’s major redevelopment programme.

Andy Martin, senior partner at Strutt & Parker said: ‘We chose Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity because of the incredible work the hospital has done to help children from all over the UK for the past 160 years, it is a charity which is close to many of our hearts. Throughout the year we will be holding various events with the aim of raising £100,000 for the Raising the Roof appeal which will ensure the building work on the neuroscience wing can be completed.’

For further information or to donate please contact Olivia McAlpine on 020 7318 5132 or oliviamcalpine@struttandparker.com 109

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Offices throughout the UK including 5 in London

carterjonas.co.uk

KNIGHTSBRIDGE

Brompton Road SW3 A beautifully refurbished contemporary third floor apartment situated in the heart of Knightsbridge.

Reception room • Kitchen • Bedroom • Bathroom • Lift Porter • Energy efficiency: Band C

Guide price £1,850,000 Leasehold

Knightsbridge & Chelsea 020 7584 7020 knightsbridge@carterjonas.co.uk

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KNIGHTSBRIDGE

Rutland Mews South SW7 A delightful house in the heart of Knightsbridge that has undergone a complete refurbishment and would make a perfect pied-a-terre.

Reception room • Bedroom • 2 bathrooms • Balcony Energy efficiency: Band D

Guide price £1,500,000 Freehold

Knightsbridge & Chelsea 020 7584 7020 knightsbridge@carterjonas.co.uk

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25/01/2013 16:55

Offices throughout the UK including 5 in London

carterjonas.co.uk

CHELSEA

Fulham Road SW3 A modern, fully refurbished apartment just moments from Sloane Avenue and South Kensington Tube.

Large open-plan reception/kitchen/dining area • 2 double bedrooms, 1 with en suite bathroom • Shower room Caretaker • Energy efficiency: Band C

£775 per week Furnished

Knightsbridge & Chelsea 020 7584 7020 knightsbridge@carterjonas.co.uk

CHELSEA

Hans Place SW1 A spacious flat situated on a popular Knightsbridge garden square, moments from Harrods.

Reception room • Kitchen • 2 double bedrooms Bathroom • Energy efficiency: Band D

£775 per week Furnished

Knightsbridge & Chelsea 020 7584 7020 knightsbridge@carterjonas.co.uk

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CHELSEA

Jubilee Place SW3 A unique apartment on the third floor of this purpose built building in Chelsea Green.

Large reception room • Modern kitchen • Double bedroom Shower room • Southwest facing roof terrace • Caretaker Energy efficiency: Band F

£600 per week Furnished

Knightsbridge & Chelsea 020 7584 7020 knightsbridge@carterjonas.co.uk

KNIGHTSBRIDGE

Eaton Place SW1 A bright and modern apartment on the second floor of this converted building in the heart of Belgravia.

Large reception room • Contemporary kitchen • Master bedroom with en suite shower room • Double bedroom Shower room • Lift • Energy efficiency: Band D

£900 per week Furnished

Knightsbridge & Chelsea 020 7584 7020 knightsbridge@carterjonas.co.uk

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PROPERTY

IN THEIR

OWN WORDS PHOTOGRAPHY: ARMAND HOUGH, IAMFOTOGRAFIE.COM

A

s we roll into 2013, I am in a happy place. 2012 was an exciting year for me, after a lot of hard work, my agency, Martin & Co – Chelsea & Riverside, won Franchise of the Year.

This is a national award for the highest grossing franchisee in the group for 2011–2012. This award was a real honour for me and a tribute to the hard work of my team.

I have lived in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for 20 years. Before going into the estate agency business, I worked for 11 years in the motor trade. At that time I had my own property portfolio and thought the standard of agents was poor, particularly when it came to communication. After extensive training to gain my ARLA qualification, I started looking for an up and coming franchise with vacant territory in London. Soon after, I found Martin & Co. I identified the area of Lots Rd, SW10 and the developing riverside nearby as an area with real estate potential and decided to set up an office.

I opened the Chelsea & Riverside office on Lots Road almost 10 years ago. We then moved to our new office on Cremorne Road in the Spring of 2012. The ‘Lots Village area’, as it is now known, is one of Chelsea’s best kept secrets. It’s close to the river and there are no other agents here. We specialise in sales and lettings in Chelsea and in the riverside developments. Over 65% of our client base are

overseas investors who see London as a safe place to invest. Capital returns and high rents don’t hurt either!

A lot has happened along both sides of this stretch of the river in the past 10 years, with a lot of much needed regeneration going on. In the next 2–3 years, the new Battersea Power Station and Riverlight developments will be up and running, so it’s a dynamic and exciting area to be working in at the moment. We’re going to be opening a new Riverside office in Battersea Reach in February this year. We have been the main agent in the development for the past 4–5 years now so this makes perfect sense for us.

In 2013 I predict rentals to increase by 5–10% depending on the building and area, so it’s a great time for property owners to rent out, as capital values are likely to keep rising. The sales market will remain buoyant under the £2m mark. The tax changes in the April Budget will create a lot of work for tax specialists as trust and corporate entities will need to restructure. The top end of the market will settle once this has happened.

I am proud of our efforts over the past 10 years. My team and I have a real passion for results and I hope to be able to continue to build on our success, and help our clients get the results they need for 2013 and beyond.

020 7351 0387; martinco.com

‘‘

‘‘

MICHAEL VAN DE VYVER DIRECTOR, MARTIN & CO - CHELSEA & RIVERSIDE

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Your reward for all the late nights in the office.

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11/01/2013 18:08

New Globe Walk, SE1

Magnificent Penthouse with Spectacular City Views

H

ighly sought-after Benbow House is moments from both Shakespeare’s world famous Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern, adjacent to Millennium Bridge, boasting spectacular views of neighbouring St Paul’s Cathedral, right the way over to Canary Wharf. Overlooking the River Thames, these two penthouses have become available to purchase in this prime location moments from the City and the pick of London’s art, theatre and culture scene.

7 Bedrooms : 6 Bathrooms : 3 Reception Rooms : 2 Kitchens : Dining Room : Utility Room Sun Lounge : Study : 2 Terraces : 2 Balconies : 24 Hour Porter : Caretaker : Off Street Parking Approximately 7890 sq ft

0207 584 1100

chelsea@engelvoelkers.com 293 Brompton Road London SW3 2DZ www.engelvoelkers.com/chelsea

£14,000,000 GUIDE PRICE

ENGEL VOLKERS.FEB.2.indd 2

28/01/2013 15:50

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Established in 1977, Engel & Völkers is a premium brand

Established in 1977, Engel & Völkers is a premium brand ininternational 1977, Engel & Völkers is agencies a premium brand and one of Established the largest estate in Our experienced and dedicated London and one of the largest international estate agencies in office will ensure and one of the largest international estate agencies in the world.

With our unrivalled network and the world. our unrivalled network and reach, we canreach, we can the world.

With our unrivalled sales networkand and reach, we can that youWith receive the best possible lettings attract potential buyers and tenants fortenants your property attract potential buyers and for your property attract potential buyers and tenants for your property service.

So if you are of selling or renting your fromfrom London and all over the world.the world.

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property, look no further.

Our experienced and dedicated London office will ensure Our experienced and dedicated London office will ensure experienced dedicated that Our you receive the best and possible sales andLondon lettings office will ensure that you receive the best possible sales and lettings that receive the best possible sales and lettings service.

Soyou if you are thinking of selling or renting your Alix McAlinden, Director service.

So if you are thinking of selling or renting your property, look no service.

Sofurther. if you are thinking of selling or renting your property, +44 (0)20 7584 1100look no further.

property, look no further.

chelsea@engelvoelkers.com Managing Director Alix McAlinden, Director

Alix McAlinden, Director +44 (0)20 7584 1100 )20 7584 1100 +44 (0Director Alix McAlinden, chelsea@engelvoelkers.com chelsea@engelvoelkers.com

+44 (0)20 7584 1100 chelsea@engelvoelkers.com

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exclusive global property agency Your London gateway to the most exclusive global property agency

ENGEL VOLKERS.FEB.2.indd 3

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PROPERTY

LUXURIOUS

LETTINGS ST CATHERINES MEWS CHELSEA

SW3

DETAILS ÂŁ1,350 per week

CONTACT Carter Jonas Knightsbridge & Chelsea 020 7584 7020 carterjonas.co.uk

A

stunning recently refurbished three bedroom mews house situated in a private gated development which is moments from the fantastic amenities of the King’s Road. This immaculately kept house benefits from under floor heating and also air conditioning in the bedrooms.

The property benefits from ample storage throughout and herringbone wooden flooring in the reception room. The accommodation comprises a

lovely light and bright reception room, fully integrated kitchen and dining room with a separate larder. Downstairs there is a guest cloakroom, two double bedrooms with good built in storage (both have en suite bathrooms) and one single bedroom, the decked roof terrace is perfect for alfresco dining and a good sized private garage. The property is offered on an unfurnished basis and the closest station is Sloane Square/ Knightsbridge. The energy efficiency rating is Band D.

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Refurbish Refresh & Revive Our in-house team of refurbishment specialists includes architects, builders, kitchen/bathroom experts and interior designers.

35 years of expertise and experience combine to ensure that every project is delivered on time, to specification and within budget.

The goal is to optimise the overall look of your property and to maximise its rental/capital value.

*Terms apply

And create the right impression with: Interior design – a stunning, contemporary interior for your property Homestaging – to help you sell or let your property quickly – for the best price Furnishing packs – exclusive or budget packages to suit your pocket

To find out more or make an appointment, contact Mansi Mehra on 020 8964 1966 or email enquiries@instyledirect.co.uk

28 Salter Street, London NW10 6UN www.instyledirect.co.uk

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23/01/2013 15:07

Hamptons Fulham Sales. 020 7717 5299 fulham@hamptons.co.uk

Compass House, SW6 - ÂŁ1,995,000 Leasehold A superb three bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of this prestigious new development from St George. The interior is finished to an exceptionally high specification, with stunning fitted kitchen and luxury bathrooms. There is air conditioning throughout the apartment, and underfloor heating in all the bathrooms. The reception room is particularly well proportioned and bright, and has a large balcony. The property comes with access to a private underground car park and 24 hour concierge service. In addition the residents have the use of a luxury spa and swimming pool, as well as sauna and treatment rooms.

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Hamptons Islington Lettings Pimlico Westminster Lettings.

020and 7717 5455 Lettings. 020 7834 7316 islingtonlettings@hamptons-int.com pimwestlettings@hamptons-int.com

Hamptons City Lettings Lettings. 020 7717 5437 citylettings@hamptons-int.com Hamptons City Sales Sales. 020 7717 5435 citysales@hamptons-int.com

Commercial Street E1 - £525 per week

Star Place E1W - £799 per week A beautiful two bedroom apartment with a large terrace offering stunning waterside views of St. Katharine Docks, modern fixtures and fittings throughout and 24 hour concierge.

Eccleston Square, SW1V- £3,250 per week Unfurnished

Westminster Green, SW1P - £675 per week Furnished Beautifully presented first floor apartment in this prestigious block with concierge service, moments from the River. High specification throughout.

A beautifully refurbished and spacious one bedroom apartment with large balcony in the popular Exchange Building development benefiting from 24 hour concierge.

Exceptional family home with well laid out accommodation over six floors.

Wonderful views across prestigious Eccleston Square and supremely convenient for Victoria Station.

Pimlico & Westminster Lets 020 7717 5479

Pimlico & Westminster Lets 020 7717 5479

Cathedral Lodge, EC1 - Leasehold - £475,000

Charing Cross Road, WC2 - Leasehold - £725,000

Westrovia Court, SW1V - £925 per week Furnished Fabulous three bed apartment situated on the 4th floor of an exclusive new The Wallpaper Apartments, N1 - £995 per week – Long Let development boasting stylish decor, a south facing balcony, allocated parking and This two bedroom property offers over 1500 sq. ft. of space and daily vast porter. benefits from high quality fixtures and fittings throughout, integrated Pimlico & Westminster Lets 020 7717 5479 media system, large decked garden and two bathrooms.

Great Peter Street, SW1V - £1,150 per week Furnished A stunning two bedroom apartment situated on the 10th floor of a sought after Chadwell Street, EC1R - £725 per week – Long Let riverside development boasting a superb reception with floor to ceiling windows Bright and airy split level period conversion with high quality fixtures and river views. and fittings throughout whilst offering fantastic access to the City, Angel/ Pimlico & Westminster Lets 020 7717 5479 Upper Street and Exmouth Market.

This exceptionally spacious unmodernised 1 bedroom Square Mile apartment is on the 5th floor of an extremely popular lift-serviced building with concierge and parking.

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A 2 bedroom apartment located on the 3rd floor of a lift serviced period mansion block close to Oxford Street. Ideal for access to central London and the Theatre district.

25/01/2013 12:40 13:23 26/06/2012

Sloane Square Lettings. 020 7717 5483 sloanesquarelettings@hamptons-int.com

Lower Sloane Street, SW1W - ÂŁ950 per week Furnished A stunning two bedroom two bathroom recently refurbish apartment located on the third and fourth floors of this period conversion just off Sloane Square.

Hamptons Sloane Square 020 7717 5483

Gatliff Road, SW1W - ÂŁ1,150 per week Furnished A modern three bedroom third floor apartment located in this prestigious riverside development. Furnished to a high standard is ideal for couple or young family.

Hamptons Sloane Square 020 7717 5483

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Hamptons Islington Lettings Chelsea Lettings.

020 7717 5455 Lettings. 020 7717 5433 islingtonlettings@hamptons-int.com chelsealettings@hamptons-int.com

Hamptons City Lettings Lettings. 020 7717 5437 citylettings@hamptons-int.com Hamptons City Sales Sales. 020 7717 5435 citysales@hamptons-int.com

Commercial Street E1 - £525 per week

A beautifully refurbished and spacious one bedroom apartment with large balcony in the popular Exchange Building development benefiting from 24 hour concierge.

Star Place E1W - £799 per week A beautiful two bedroom apartment with a large terrace offering stunning waterside views of St. Katharine Docks, modern fixtures and fittings throughout and 24 hour concierge.

Earls Court Square, SW5 - £850 per week Furnished A beautifully decorated garden flat which boasts a large reception room, two double bedrooms, wooden floors and private garden.

Hamptons Chelsea 020 7717 5433

Cathedral Lodge, EC1 - Leasehold - £475,000

This exceptionally spacious unmodernised 1 bedroom Square Mile apartment is on the 5th floor of an extremely popular lift-serviced building with concierge and parking.

Charing Cross Road, WC2 - Leasehold - £725,000

A 2 bedroom apartment located on the 3rd floor of a lift serviced period mansion block close to Oxford Street. Ideal for access to central London and the Theatre district.

Coleridge Gardens, SW10 - £950 weekper Unfurnished The Wallpaper Apartments, N1per - £995 week – Long Let

Chadwell Street, EC1R - £725 per week – Long Let AThis fantastic twobedroom bedroom,property two bathroom wood floors and its own balcony the communal gardens of this after development. vast two offersapartment over 1500with sq. ft. of space and Bright overlooking and airy split level period conversion withsought high quality fixtures benefits from high quality fixtures and fittings throughout whilst offering fantastic access to the City, Angel/ Hamptons Chelsea 020 7717 5433 and fittings throughout, integrated media system, large decked garden and two bathrooms.

Upper Street and Exmouth Market.

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PROPERTY

PROFILE

MOVING IN

NOTHING’S BETTER THAN THE INSIDE SCOOP. LOCAL AGENTS GIVE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS...

YOU NEVER KNEW THIS ABOUT

Tom Moses, senior negotiator, Martin & Co 020 7351 0387; martinco.com King’s Road derives its name from its sole use as a private road for Charles II to travel from the Palace to Fulham and remained as such road until 1830.

STREET

Robert Stewart, manager, Hamptons International 020 7384 1001; hamptons.co.uk Doria Road – beautiful architecture in the best location.

You’ve got everything you need within walking distance.

TIME OUT

Tom Ward, director, Aspire 020 7736 6110; aspire.co.uk The girls in the office tell me that Chelsea Day Spa is perfect for a day’s retreat. Offering pampering treatments in a boutique environment, they have a fantastic menu including New York manis and pedis, waxing and a blow dry bar.

INTERIOR INSPIRATION

Stephanie Westin Lettings Negotiator, Engel & Völkers London 020 7590 3700; Brightening up a rainy day in London I add some colour by browsing the collection of Squint Limited. The different shapes, fabrics and colours are so inspiring and will definitely give you some of that summer feeling we are all missing.

LOCAL HANGOUT

Barclay Macfarlane, partner, Strutt & Parker LLP 020 7731 7100; struttandparker.com For that special occasion head to The River Café, with it’s superb views across the River and fantastic Italian cuisine, it will make this a dining experience to remember. The food is quite delicious and wine list superb.

SHOP INSPIRATION

Patrick Bullick, managing director, STANLEY Chelsea 020 7352 9556; stanleychelsea.co.uk I hate shopping so I’m the wrong person to ask, but if forced, I head to the Conran Shop as I always find something cool and it is only 2 minutes from my office.

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11/12/2012 16:23

MEMORY LANE Rosebury Road, Road Clapham, SW6 Hambalt SW4 £1,300 per week £1,185,000

om ard Director of aspire in ulham talks to a client about happy times David of aspire’s Clapham South office talks to a vendor recalling in her Kirkup wonderful Rosebury Road home happy memories of living in this beautiful house on Hambalt Road.

Did you live in the property before you developed it? Yes, How long have you livedthis at was yourmy home for 10 years from 1995-2005, property? friends before Iwhich movedI shared into thewith property in 2010. moving out and getting married.

What do you like most about living Where did you draw inspiration in Clapham? forcommunity the overall I run SB Ifrom love the feeldesign? of Clapham Management, property and the fact thatapeople are management genuinely businessI also andlike I’vethat been refurbishing friendly. there’s always lots client’s properties years. to do without havingfor to 8 travel far Itohave do it! been interested in interior design from

an early age and have a bookcase full of books interiors which I draw Where didonyou draw from inspiration inspiration. from for the design/interior of your property?

What design aspects want to I’ve moved around quite adid fairyou bit and include? wanted create a spacious each houseI has beento very different in master onThis thehouse first floor, style andsuite décor. feels complete clean with a walk through dressing without seeming too much like aroom show and large this was home – thisen-suite is a real bathroom, home, which feels done by theimportantly bathroom aand comfy andredesigning lived-in. Most using redundant landing space. I also relaxing place to be. wanted to bring in as much daylight as

possible, so we installed 2 skylights on the top which made a huge Did youfloor install any have special differenceintothe that level. features property?

I didn’t install them but I love the What are your favourite bi-fold doors.

They draw the features outside now theisdevelopment is complete? in which lovely on a summer’s day Theduring windows!

I usedThey to look across or the winter. allow so the street light in envy the pretty windows of much intoatthe room. my neighbours, now my house has them too. I also love the fact that when you look at this house from the front it looks quite small, yet it really is a tardis inside.

balham • battersea • clapham north • clapham south • fulham central • fulham south • furzedown • tooting .co.uk .co.uk

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MEMORY

Hambalt Road, Claph £1,185,000

What is great, in your opinion about the area near Rosebury Road and Fulham in general? There are so many amenities within the environs of Rosebury Road; for fresh air and exercise you have South Park nearby and the newly created river walk leading to Chelsea Harbour with its marina which always gives me a sense of being abroad and from where you can take river boats up to the City – by far the best way to travel in London!

How long did the whole development Theorhouse Are there anyprocess furthertake? changes needed a whole refurbishment in the developments you would’vebut made end it you tookstayed about 6atmonths. had the property?

I don’t think so. There is plenty of space so there’s no need for a loft conversion Which is your favourite room and or such like.the basement, it provides an why?

I love open plan 16m living space with a sitting room, kitchen dining room room in looking What’s yourand favourite out onto the garden. I particularly the house? wanted to challengearea the –traditional The kitchen/dining there is so layout the other houses on the road. muchofspace to cook, entertain or relax We came up with with a good book.a plan to lower the original floor level of the back of the house together with the floor of the existing basement and we also created a

split level garden with the dining area What doonto youra children love about opening patio area. the house?

My child is ayour grown up child now but What are best memories loves the warmth andI happiness the of Fulham?

By day loved my of runs place – we’ve many a brunches good party around Southenjoyed Park, Sunday here with much-loved family. at Joe’s Brasserie andfriends walksand along the river. By night, cocktails in The What will you miss the most visits whento Mission (now Boma), frequent move? on Wandsworth Bridge Ilyou Paggliaccios How for much fun it’s pizza been living and Road delicious and I here would the community of Clapham. have to say the feel parties in our garden in Rosebury Road! The Bury Triangle has a great sense of community and I made many friends in the neighbourhood.

There’s also the Harbour Club and The Hurlingham nearby. For going out you have some great local bars and eateries: The Sands End, Il Paggliaccios, Joe’s Brasserie, Bomafavourite and a host of places What’s your memory at inyour the Imperial house? Wharf development.

For children, are a plenty and I don’t have schools one particular favourite. when you great need to to be doable yourtoweekly shop, It’s been share the Sainsbury’s just 2ones streets away. house withisloved – Christmases How long have you lived at your spent here have been property? wonderful.

David Kirkup of aspir happy memories of l I moved into the property in 2010.

What do you like most about liv in Clapham?

I love the community feel of Clapham aspire fulham south aspire clapham south and the fact that people are genuinel 122 Wandsworth Bridge 53 Abbeville Road Road, London, SW6 2TF London, SW4 friendly.

I also like9JX that there’s always l 7736 6110 020 8675 1222 to020 do without having to travel far to d fulham@aspire.co.uk s.clapham@aspire.co.uk

SOUTH SOUTHWEST WESTLONDON’S LONDON’SLEADING LEADINGESTATE ESTATEAGENT AGENT

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balham • b .co.uk .co.uk .co.uk

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PROPERTY

PRIME PURCHASE

EXTENDING TO SOME 5,701 SQUARE FEET, THE HOUSE OVERLOOKS THE IMMACULATE GARDENS OF BURTON COURT WITH DIRECT ACCESS TO THE GARDENS TO THE REAR.

T

his elegant family townhouse is situated in the prestigious southwest London location of Chelsea, overlooking the immaculate gardens of Burton Court. Encompassing 5,701 sq ft across five floors, the home offers grand spaces for entertaining guests, including access to a large roof terrace boasting magnificent views over the city.

Taking in nine bedrooms and six baths, there is plenty of room for guests, family and staff to enjoy

maximum privacy. The comfortable yet stylish family room, drawing room and formal living rooms, all have ornate fireplaces, while the huge dining room is fantastic for dinner parties. The property also offers access to an architecturally designed roof terrace with magnificent views. Add to this the fully fitted kitchen with island and huge bay windows, a utility room, cloakroom, study, wine cellar, and direct access to well-maintained gardens, and the picture of the exquisite city residence is complete.

DETAILS

Ormonde Gate, ÂŁ15,500,000

CONTACT

Strutt & Parker Chelsea Office 020 7 225 3866 struttandparker.com

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PROPERTY

AN AFRICAN DREAM B

uilt in 2003, this luxury lodge delivers from every single one of its rooms, with vistas stretching out as far as the eye can see and some ceilings soaring as high as nine metres.

Located around an hour’s drive from the South African town of Hoedspruit, the estate spans around 1,250 hectares and encompasses the

three lodges with the capacity to accommodate up to 12 guests, plus separate staff quarters. Situated only 45 minutes from the nearest airport this remarkable property embodies the unmistakable spirit of Africa. Makumu will revive your senses and soul with its earthy colours, traditional patterns and a sublime radiance that envelops every detail with its warmth.

MAKUMU DETAILS

CONTACT

Price: Upon Request Interior Approx. 1,000 sq m/ 10,765 sq ft Land approx. 1,250 ha

Engel & VĂślkers 020 7584 1100 engelvoelkers.com

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London Lettings Chelsea & Riverside

DOUBLE CLICK TO EDIT

Kings Chelsea, Kings Road SW10 Compass Compass House, House, Chelsea Chelsea Creek Creek l l l l

Two Bedroom Apartment Brand Brand New New Apartment Apartment Furnished 2 Bedrooms Bedrooms 2

l l l l

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£750pw £1,500pw £1,500pw

Approx 905 Sq Ft Furnished Furnished Parking Included Short Short Let Let

Grosvenor Waterside,Road Chelsea SW1W Kings Chelsea, Kings Chelsea, Kings Kings Road Two Bedroom Apartment l l l l

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1 1 Bedroom Bedroom Apartment Apartment Interior Designed Furnished Furnished

l l l l

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Holbein Place, Chelsea SW1W £695pw Tetcott Road, Chelsea Tetcott Road,Apartment Chelsea £1,750pw Two Bedroom Approx 880 Sq £1,750pw Ft

Drayton Gardens, Chelsea SW10 Sloane Gardens, Chelsea Sloane Gardens, Chelsea Furnished One Bedroom Apartment

l l l l

l l l l

Immaculate Immaculate Throughout Furnished Throughout 2 2 Bedroom Bedroom House House

l l l l

Furnished Furnished Great Location Approx Approx 1100 1100 sq sq ft ft

t: t: 020 020 7351 7351 0387 0387 Martin&Co.FEB.indd 1

£850pw £575pw £575pw

Approx 900 Balcony Sq Ft West West Facing Facing Balcony 24 Hour500 Concierge Approx sq Approx 500 sq ft ft

Contemporary Apartment Contemporary Apartment Newly Refurbished 3 3 Bedrooms Bedrooms

l l l l

£475pw £1,650pw £1,650pw

Large Reception Large Reception Room Approx 470 Sq Room Ft Approx 1500 Approx 1500 sq sq ft ft

1 1 Cremorne Cremorne Rd Rd Chelsea Chelsea London London SW10 SW10 0NA 0NA e: chelsea@martinco.com www.martincochelsea.co.uk e: chelsea@martinco.com www.martincochelsea.co.uk 25/01/2013 13:25

London’s Letting Agency www.brlets.co.uk

Battersea Area

From£345 £250pw pw Furnished Furnished

Imperial Wharf Area

From£450 £250pw pw Furnished Furnished

Chelsea Area

From£500 £250pw pwFurnished Furnished

| 1/2 1Studio Bedroom | 1Bedrooms Reception||11Reception Bathroom 1 Bathroom | Gym | Near Amenities Balcony | 24hr| Parking Concierge | Tube Nearby

| 1/2 1Studio Bedroom | 1Bedrooms Reception| |11Reception Bathroom 1 Bathroom | Parking | Gym | Near 24hr Concierge | Parking | Gym | NearAmenities Tube

| 1/2| 1Bedrooms 1Studio Bedroom Reception| 1| 1Reception Bathroom 1 Bathroom Gym To | Near Amenities Private Patio || Parking Porter | |Close Amenities

Kensington 020 Knightsbridge 0207938 75813522 2112

Kensington 020020 7938 3522 Imperial Wharf 7348 7620

Kensington 020 Knightsbridge 0207938 75813522 2112

Area Imperial Wharf

kens@brlets.co.uk knight@brlets.co.uk

From£600 £250pw pw Furnished Furnished

Area Westminster

kens@brlets.co.uk iw@brlets.co.uk

Area Wharf Imperial

From £250pw pwFurnished Furnished £650

kens@brlets.co.uk knight@brlets.co.uk

From£675 £250pw pwFurnished Furnished

| 1/2| Bedrooms | 1| Reception 2Studio Bedrooms 1 Reception 2 Bathrooms 1 Bathroom | Parking | Gym | Near Lift | Balcony | 24hr Concierge | TubeAmenities Closeby

| 1/2| 1Bedrooms 1Studio Bedroom Reception| 1| 1Reception Bathroom 1 Bathroom | Parking Gym | Near Amenities 24hr Concierge | Lift | |Amenities Nearby

| 1/2| Bedrooms | 1| Reception 2Studio Bedrooms 1 Reception 2 Bathrooms 1 Bathroom | Parking | | Near Amenities Parking | 24hr ConciergeGym | Gym | Near Tube

Kensington 020020 7938 3522 Imperial Wharf 7348 7620

Kensington 020 Knightsbridge 0207938 75813522 2112

Kensington 020020 7938 3522 Imperial Wharf 7348 7620

Area Chelsea

kens@brlets.co.uk iw@brlets.co.uk

From£875 £250 pw pw Furnished Furnished

Area Imperial Wharf

kens@brlets.co.uk knight@brlets.co.uk

From £250pw pwFurnished Furnished £1,650

Area Chelsea

kens@brlets.co.uk iw@brlets.co.uk

From £250 pw Furnished £1,850 pw Unfurnished

| 1/2|Bedrooms | 1|Reception 2Studio Bedrooms 1 Reception 2 Bathrooms 1 Bathroom | Parking | Gym | Near Amenities Porter | Garden | Close To Sloane Square

| 1/2| Bedrooms | 1|Reception 3Studio Bedrooms 1 Reception 3 Bathrooms 1 Bathroom | Parking | | Near| Amenities Balcony | 24hr ConciergeGym | Garden Parking

| 1/2| Bedrooms | 1| Reception 4Studio Bedrooms 1 Reception 3 Bathrooms 1 Bathroom | Parking | | Near Amenities Terrace | Parking | Close Gym To Amenities

Kensington 020 Knightsbridge 0207938 75813522 2112

Kensington 020020 7938 3522 Imperial Wharf 7348 7620

Kensington 020 Knightsbridge 0207938 75813522 2112

Ten offices open six days a week Monday – Saturday Beaufort Park 020 8732 7980 Canary Wharf 020 7517 6088

kens@brlets.co.uk knight@brlets.co.uk

City Ealing Hampstead Highgate

BENHAM & REEVES_FEB.CHELSEA.FINAL.indd 2

020 7213 9700 020 8280 0140 020 7435 9681 020 8341 2335

Hyde Park Imperial Wharf Kensington Knightsbridge

kens@brlets.co.uk iw@brlets.co.uk

020 7402 9866 020 7348 7620 020 7938 3522 020 7581 2112

kens@brlets.co.uk knight@brlets.co.uk

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28/01/2013 12:31

Landlords and tenants alike...

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end your search with London’s independent lettings-only specialist Benham and Reeves Lettings have been serving both landlords and tenants since 1956 With 10 well placed London offices, we are able to offer tenants a wide choice of locations and properties

For landlords - we offer a full lettings and property management service, furnishing packages, refurbishment and homestaging service,

making us your one-stop rental property partner

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info@brlets.co.uk or visit www.brlets.co.uk

Benham and Reeves Residential Lettings

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Offices throughout South and West London

Munster Road, SW6 £999,950 Freehold

The Drive Mansions, SW6 £550,000

Bushells are delighted to offer this Edwardian family house located on the ever popular Munster Road, near the junction of Ringmer Avenue.

Accommodation comprises: double reception room, Kitchen/ breakfast room, ground floor shower room, 3 double bedrooms, family bathroom and a beautiful west facing garden.EPC=E

A beautifully presented top floor mansion flat, situated in one of Fulham’s most popular Victorian blocks. Two double bedrooms, luxury bathroom, well appointed kitchen, large reception and communal garden. Located close to Bishops Park and Parsons Green. Circa 800 sq ft. Share of Freehold EPC=D

Fulham Office - 020 7731 2808 Fulham@bushells.com

Fulham Office - 020 7731 2808 Fulham@bushells.com

Vera Road, SW6 £1,100,000 Freehold

Cromwell Mansions, SW5 £2,650,000

Quietly located off Munster Road, this well presented end of terrace house comprises 3 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, double reception room, modern kitchen and a mature 35ft garden. Munster Village offers a good range of popular local amenities and transport links.EPC=E

An enormous (2,861 sq ft) and bright five bedroom flat on the fourth floor of a period building. The property comprises of four double bedrooms, one single/study, three bathrooms, two reception rooms with private balcony, separate kitchen and utility room. Leasehold EPC=F

Fulham Office - 020 7731 2808 Fulham@bushells.com

Fulham Office - 020 7731 2808 Fulham@bushells.com

Acton  Balham  Bloomsbury  Battersea  Camden  Clapham  Dulwich  Fulham  Hammersmith  Islington  West Hampstead

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bushells.com

SAMPLE

Chelsea Reach, SW6 From £729,000 to £2,075,000

Located in the heart of Fulham Broadway, this fantastic new development of luxury apartments is due to be completed in June 2013. From the gated underground car parking to the concierge service and the design & finish of the apartments themselves, everything about Chelsea Rich says Statement Living.

Over 80% reserved NEW BUILD Fulham Office Tel: - 020 7731 2808 Fulham@bushells.com

Acton  Balham  Bloomsbury  Battersea  Camden  Clapham  Dulwich  Fulham  Hammersmith  Islington  West Hampstead BUSHELLS.FEB.indd 3

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OARE, WILTSHIRE £2,750,000 FREEHOLD

Guildhouse Street, SW1V £950,000 Leasehold

An extraordinary and individual modern country house in a stunning location. Built originally in 1962 for the artist John Merton, Pound House A stunning, four bedroom maisonette arranged across the ground and lower ground floor of a period conversion, located in the most is broadly Palladian in style and is a wide, single storey building with large windows over looking the gardens. It was extended in 1978 to convenient of locations in the centre of Pimlico. Guildhouse Street is ideally positioned for the coffee shops and local amenities of include a garden room and a large studio complex including a workshop and dark room . The property currently has very high ceilings and Warwick Way and Wilton Road as well as the restaurants and boutiques of Eccleston Street. brick parapets surrounding the roof which has good storage space.

Four bedrooms | four bathrooms | garden room | hall | drawing room | studio complex | dining room | wine cellar | integrated garaging | small lake arboretum | Dual aspect reception room | Modern kitchen | Four bedrooms | Three bathrooms (Two En Suite) | Patio | Excellent Storage over six acres of land

Scan this code to download the Winkworth iPhone app

winkworth.co.uk/pimlico

See things differently.

020 7828 1786 pimlico@winkworth.co.uk Winkworth.PIMLICO.FEB.2.indd 1

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OARE, WILTSHIRE £2,750,000 FREEHOLD

Charlwood Street, SW1V £865,000 Leasehold

An extraordinary and individual modern country house in a stunning location. Built originally in 1962 for the artist John Merton, Pound House A beautiful, first floor 2-3 bedroom apartment with a stunning and classically proportioned reception room, on a quiet street in the is broadly Palladian in style and is a wide, single storey building with large windows over looking the gardens. It was extended in 1978 to popular Pimlico Grid. Charlwood Street is conveniently located for the local shops and amenities of Lupus Street, Warwick Way and include a garden room and a large studio complex including a workshop and dark room . The property currently has very high ceilings and Wilton Road, as well as the restaurants and boutiques of Pimlico Road and Moreton Street. The public park at St.George’s Square and brick parapets surrounding the roof which has good storage space. the health club at Dolphin Square are also close by and popular with those living in the area.

Four bedrooms | four bathrooms | garden room | hall | drawing room | studio complex | dining room | wine cellar | integrated garaging | small lake arboretum | over six acres of land Stunning reception room | Separate kitchen | Two bedrooms | Modern bathroom | Bedroom 3 / study

Scan this code to download the Winkworth iPhone app

winkworth.co.uk/pimlico

See things differently.

020 7828 1786 pimlico@winkworth.co.uk Winkworth.PIMLICO.FEB.2.indd 2

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-

HARBORD STREET, SW6 £875,000 FREEHOLD

Spread over the first and second floors of a Victorian terraced property, this stunning, three double bedroom maisonette has been newly refurbished to a very high standard. On the first floor there is a large and beautifully presented reception room, immaculate, fully fitted kitchen/breakfast room and two double bedrooms which are both served by a beautifully presented bathroom. The master bedroom is situated on the second floor and benefits from excellent fitted wardrobes and it is own beautiful bathroom. Situated on a quiet residential street, located off the Fulham Palace Road. It is within easy reach of a wide range of local amenities and transport links.

Douglas and Gordon, 020 7731 4391; douglasandgordon.co.uk

LIVING

Absolutely THE MOST LUXURIOUSLY APPOINTED PROPERTIES ON THE MARKET IN OUR MANOR

THE DREAM PARSONS GREEN LANE, SW6 £1,900,000

This elegant five bedroom Victorian town house has been recently refurbished throughout and offers 2,336sqft of living space. The front reception room has lovely washed wooden floors and high ceilings with an abundance of decorative plasterwork. The well-equipped kitchen has a breakfast area which leads out to the rear porch and private enclosed garden. Two bedrooms and a bathroom are located on the first floor, one of which is currently used as the formal drawing room. Two further bedrooms, one being the master, plus a bathroom are located on the second floor where a glass atrium allows natural light to flood into the stairwell.

Hamptons international, 020 7384 1001; hamptons-int.com

MASTER CLASS: PROPERTY QUESTIONNAIRES SUCCESSFUL SALES

There is a considerable commitment of time, finances and emotion involved in buying or selling a property. Therefore it can be highly frustrating to all parties if a sale becomes abortive due to circumstances beyond an Estate Agents’ control. As a seller, you are required to fill out property questionnaire once a sale has been agreed to inform the selling agent of any facts that could affect a buyers decision, such as planning applications from neighbouring properties. Such information is often held by the managing agent who can be key in the process of a successful sale. It has been known for a sale to fall through where building work has come to light in the vicinity of the property. A competent agent can save a deal when they have all the facts however any diluting of this can lead to disappointment, so all relevant information is vital in selling successfully.

Tim Macpherson Partner at Carter Jones.

020 7584 7020; carterjonas.co.uk

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PROPERTY

CADOGAN GARDENS, SW3 £3,350,000 LEASEHOLD

Located conveniently close to the Sloane Square and King’s Road amenities, this charming southfacing, raised ground floor flat is situated in a well-run mansion block.

Set back from the road behind the attractive ornamental gardens the flat provides over 1800sq feet of accommodation on one floor, with good entertaining rooms to the front.

Bective Leslie Marsh, 020 7589 6677; bectivelesliemarsh.co.uk

CHELSEA REACH, SW6

TEDWORTH SQUARE, SW3 £875 PER WEEK STC

This south facing duplex apartment takes in lovely views over a quiet Chelsea square and is well situated within easy walking distance of the King’s Road and Sloane Street. The accommodation enjoys an exceptionally large reception with high ceilings and tall picture windows and a highly functional kitchen with integrated appliances. Upstairs, a master suite, double and single bedroom are served by a separate shower room. Benham & Reeves Residential Lettings, 020 7581 2112; brlets.co.uk

PRICE ON APPLICATION

From the gated underground car parking to the concierge service and the design and finish of the apartments themselves, everything about Chelsea Reach says Statement Living. Designed to maximise the use of light and space, the elegantly appointed interiors feature as standard, timber floors to the hallways and living/ dining rooms, underfloor heating, fitted wardrobes and a custom-designed European fitted kitchen with integrated appliances. The penthouses benefit from an enhanced specification that includes comfort cooling, Miele appliances, a surround sound system and mood lighting control.

Bushells, 020 7731 2808; bushells.com 141

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Holland Park Office: 020 7727 5111 holland.park@jackson-stops.co.uk

Northumberland Place W2

Lettings: 020 7727 5222

jackson-stops.co.uk/London

ÂŁ1895 per week Unfurnished

A contemporary four bedroom town house with period features and a patio garden, set over five floors on this delightful tree-lined street. Close to the amenities of Westbourne Grove and Notting Hill. The accommodation comprises five bedrooms, three bathrooms, double reception room, kitchen with dining room, conservatory, utility room and a paved rear garden. EPC Rating = D

Holland Park Office: +44 (0)20 7727 5222 holland.park@jackson-stops.co.uk

Fast find AB50620

41 offices covering the UK London: office 17c Curzon Street W1J 5HU

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23/01/2013 11:52

Caranday Villas, W11

£1,600,000 Freehold

A meticulously well-presented, contemporary three double bedroom house offering superb open plan living, master bedroom with en-suite shower room, two further double bedrooms and second bathroom. There’s a constant sense of brightness and space throughout the house, with light flooding in from a large glass panelled skylight. The house benefits from a secure garage as well as off-street parking. This property would make an ideal home for a young family, investor or someone simply looking for a secure base in central London.

Excellently positioned for transport links via Shepherd’s Bush or Holland Park. EPC Rating = C Holland Park Office: +44 (0)20 7727 5111 holland.park@jackson-stops.co.uk

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Fast find AB49311

23/01/2013 11:52

Pimlico Office: +44 (0)20 7828 4050 pimlico@jackson-stops.co.uk

Alderney Street, London SW1

www.jackson-stops.co.uk/London

POA Freehold

A magnificent and beautifully restored five bedroom family home with added bonus of a self contained one bedroom apartment.

Double Drawing Room, Kitchen / Breakfast room, Dining Room, Master Bedroom (en-suite), Dressing Room, 3 further double bedrooms, 2 family bathrooms, Media Room / Fifth Bedroom, Study, Garden, Three Terraces, Balcony, Roof Top terrace, Storage Vault, Self contained one bedroom apartment. EPC Rating = D. Pimlico Office: +44 (0)20 7828 4050 pimlico@jackson-stops.co.uk

Fast find AB50638

41 offices covering the UK London: office 17c Curzon Street W1J 5HU

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28/01/2013 12:43

Bessborough Place, Pimlico, SW1V

ÂŁ995 per week

A charming four bedroom house in this secure gated development with twenty-four hour concierge.

Reception Room, Kitchen, Dining Room, Three Double Bedrooms, One Single Bedroom, Three Bathrooms, WC, Patio Garden, Balcony, Off-Street Parking. Available now. Furnished or Unfurnished.

EPC Rating = D.

Pimlico Office: +44 (0)20 7828 4050 pimlico@jackson-stops.co.uk

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Fast find AB45548

28/01/2013 12:43

Chelsea Office: Sales: +44 (0)20 7581 5881 | Lettings: +44 (0)20 7581 8431 chelsea@jackson-stops.co.uk

www.jackson-stops.co.uk/London

Lincoln Street, Chelsea, SW3 Offers in excess of ÂŁ2,650,000 Freehold A wonderful opportunity to acquire an un-modernised freehold listed house in the heart of Chelsea. The house extends to 1733 sq ft with a separate flat on the lower ground floor. Subject to planning there is huge potential to extend with plenty of precedence. Minutes from Sloane Square and all the shopping facilities on Kings Road. EPC Rating = F.

Chelsea Office: +44 (0)20 7581 5881 chelsea@jackson-stops.co.uk

Fast find AB50702

41 offices covering the UK London: office 17c Curzon Street W1J 5HU

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28/01/2013 14:24

Eaton Mews North, Belgravia, SW1X

ÂŁ1,250 per week

A stylish newly refurbished house in this popular Belgravia Mews.

Reception Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Two Double Bedrooms, Two Bathrooms, Parking Space.

Available now. Unfurnished. EPC Rating = D.

Chelsea Office: +44 (0)20 7581 8431 chelsea@jackson-stops.co.uk

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Fast find AB49999

28/01/2013 14:24

SO LD LET

“If you think hiring a professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

Cornwall Gardens SW7 £2,540,000 Share of Freehold A wonderful three bedroom flat extending to over 1780 sq.ft. on the ground 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Reception room, Kitchen, Dining room, Patio.

EPC=C. and lower ground floor of this beautiful building on this prestigious garden square in South Kensington.

Kensington Gate Sales Office: 020 7581 1152 kengatesales@dng.co.uk

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douglasandgordon.com

Elystan Place SW3 ÂŁ1,750,000 Leasehold Quietly situated within this purpose-built building in the heart of Chelsea, a beautifully refurbished first and second floor flat, with a lift.

2 bedrooms, Bathroom, Shower room, Reception room with openplan kitchen, 2 terraces, Lift, Porter, Parking available by separate negotiation, EPC=E.

Chelsea Sales Office: 020 7225 1225 chelseasales@dng.co.uk

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28/01/2013 11:56

New website It’s time to refresh your browsers for major changes to douglasandgordon.com with many new features and improved navigation.

Lower Sloane Street SW1W ÂŁ1,349,950 Leasehold With direct access to wonderful communal gardens a beautifully updated long lease two bed two bath garden flat.

2 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, Reception room, Kitchen, Dining room/hall, Cloakroom, Patio, Communal gardens, EPC=D.

Chelsea Sales Office: 020 7225 1225 chelseasales@dng.co.uk

Joint Sole Agent: Mount Grange Heritage

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28/01/2013 11:57

douglasandgordon.com

Claxton Grove W6 ÂŁ950,000 Freehold A fantastic four double bedroom family house in an excellent location and close to Barons Court underground station.

Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, 3 further double bedrooms, Bathroom, Reception room, Kitchen/dining room, Roof terrace, Garden, EPC=D.

Fulham Sales Office: 020 7731 4391 fulhamsales@dng.co.uk

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Set your alarm We would like to welcome you into our offices from 8.45am to 7pm, Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 3pm on Saturdays. That’s over 56 hours of undivided D&G attention a week. Intense.

Roland Gardens SW7 £1,295,000 Share of Freehold

A stunning one bedroom top floor flat with a wonderful artist studio style reception room.

Harbord Street SW6 £875,000 Freehold

A fabulous three double bedroom maisonette on a pretty tree-lined street.

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South Kensington Sales Office: 020 7581 8888 sthkensales@dng.co.uk

Bedroom, En-suite bathroom, Vaulted reception room, Dining room, Kitchen. EPC=F.

Fulham Sales Office: 020 7731 4391 fulhamsales@dng.co.uk

3 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Reception room, Kitchen/breakfast room, Garden, EPC=C.

28/01/2013 11:57

douglasandgordon.com

Edith Grove SW10 ÂŁ795,000 Leasehold

A raised ground floor two bed two bath flat in this handsome villa style period building.

Shorrolds Road SW6 ÂŁ575,000 Leasehold

A stunning and newly refurbished two double bedroom maisonette.

DOUGLAS SALES.FEB.indd 7

Chelsea Sales Office: 020 7225 1225 chelseasales@dng.co.uk

2 bed, Bathroom, Shower room, Reception room, Kitchen, Communal gardens, EPC=D

Fulham Sales Office: 020 7731 4391 fulhamsales@dng.co.uk

2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Reception room with open-plan kitchen, Study, EPC=C.

28/01/2013 11:57

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Set your alarm We would like to welcome you into our offices from 8.45am to 7pm, Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 3pm on Saturdays. That’s over 56 hours of undivided D&G attention a week. Intense.

£3,250 per week Unfurnished Scarsdale Villas W8

A beautifully refurbished family house laid out over four floors.

£1,750 per week Furnished/Part Furnished Godfrey Street SW3

A fantastic and contemporary family house arranged over three floors.

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Kensington Gate Lettings: 020 7589 5252 kengatelets@dng.co.uk

5 double bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (1 en-suite), Cloakroom, Double reception room, Eat-in kitchen, Family room, Garden, EPC=D.

Chelsea Lettings: 020 7581 6666 chelsealets@dng.co.uk

5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (1 en-suite), Cloakroom, Reception room, Dining room, Kitchen with utility area, Study, Patio, EPC=D.

25/01/2013 13:00

douglasandgordon.com

£650 per week Unfurnished/Part Furnished Beaufort Street SW3

A spacious and newly decorated flat, situated south of the King’s Road.

£445 per week Furnished/Unfurnished Snowbury Road SW6

A newly refurbished, split-level conversion flat benefiting from a shared garden.

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Chelsea Lettings: 020 7581 6666 chelsealets@dng.co.uk

3 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), Reception room, Kitchen, Communal gardens, EPC=D.

Fulham Lettings: 020 7731 4791 fulhamlets@dng.co.uk

2 double bedrooms, Bathroom, Reception room, Eat-in kitchen, Shared garden, EPC=G.

25/01/2013 13:00

struttandparker.com

Year after year, we deliver excellent results for our clients.

We take pride in knowing that our philosophy, approach and passion for selling and letting property in London has achieved extraordinary results for our clients.

Our attention to detail, coupled with excellent customer service and expertise in the marketplace, unveils a track record of delivering on promise every time.

We are proud to count amongst our clients many of the property industry’s leading professionals who choose to use us above their own agency.

So, if you wish to get the most out of your property, whether you are considering selling or letting, contact us.

Fulham & Parsons Green

FULL PAGE.indd 3895 London 2012 2Absolutely Fullham.indd 3

020 7731 7100

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