WIMBLEDON FEBRUARY 2014

ABSOLUTELY Wimbledon

february 2014

BEST FOOT FORWARD

Meet Southfield’s most philanthropic entrepreneurs

BOB GELDOF

ON TAKING TO THE STAGE AFTER 30 YEARS

SPICE OF LIFE

Rick Stein’s taste of India

SECRET ESCAPE 2014’S Travel Hotspots

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Wimble Raynes P Mor Lett

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Passionate About Property

West Wimbledon

ÂŁ879,999

Beautiful four bedroom semi detached home with two luxury bathrooms, two separate elegant reception rooms and downstairs cloakroom/w.c. Morden fitted kitchen with granite worktops and integral appliances. Attractive garden with patio extending to 36 ft.

Set in highly sought after location midway between Wimbledon & Raynes Park. Good local schools nearby and easy access to train stations. Highly recommended. EPC band D.

Wimbledon T 020 8944 9494 Raynes Park T 020 8944 9595 Morden T 020 8543 1166 Lettings T 020 8944 8626

www.ellisons.uk.com

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Wimbledon’s Sales and Lettings Agent

Wimbledon

ÂŁ2,650 pcm

Fabulous three double bedroom, two bathroom, extended family home with South facing garden located in the sought after South Park Gardens. Extended ground floor creating a gorgeous kitchen/family room, plus extended into the loft to create a stunning master bedroom with ensuite shower room. Two further double bedrooms, study area and a further double reception room. EPC band D. Ellisons_logo_contact_footer_Layout 1 11/01/2013 08:31 Page 1 Ellisons_logo_contact_footer_Layout 1 11/01/2013 08:31 Page 1

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perty

Wimbledon T 020 8944 9494 Raynes Park T 020 8944 9595 Wimbledon T 020 8944 9494 Morden T 020 8543 1166 Raynes Park T 020 8944 9595 Wimbledon T 020 8944 9494 Wimbledon T 020 8944 9494 Raynes Park T 020 8944 9595 Morden T 020 8543 1166 Lettings T 020 8944 8626 Raynes Park T 020 8944 9595 Lettings T 020 8944 8626 Morden T 020 8543 1166 Morden T 020 8543 Passionate 1166 About Property Lettings T 020 8944 8626 www.ellisons.uk.com Lettings T 020 8944 8626 Passionate About Property www.ellisons.uk.com

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www.ellisons.uk.com

06/01/2014 16:49

General, Cosmetic, Orthodontic and Implant Dentistry

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contents 5 9

EDITOR’S LETTER ABSOLUTELY LOVES

Absolutely’s top picks this month

10 WHAT’S ON

Everything that’s happening in your area

Culture 15 COSTUME DRAMA

Vivienne Westwood does ballet

Editor’s

LETTER

T

February 2014

his month, I’m writing my editor’s letter from New Zealand, which is apt really when you consider that this issue is our annual Travel Special. Yes, once again our team have been jetting off across the world to uncover the most exciting destinations for 2014.

Topping our list this year are a beach paradise, a city break and a voyage of discovery: Bermuda, Baku and Brazil. From the colonial history of Hamilton, to the awe-inspiring architecture of Azerbaijan and the Brazilian buzz of Rio, our intrepid travellers have scratched beneath the surface to bring you a truly authentic luxury experience.

Passports at the ready…

Speaking of wandering souls, we also caught up with Bob Geldof who’s just returned back to his home in Battersea after a world tour with The Boomtown Rats. He tells us all about Peaches, parenting and returning to the stage after almost three decades.

And finally, in the name of culinary exploration, we spoke to intrepid chef Rick Stein, who’s channelling the knowledge acquired from his travels around India into a menu for local brasserie, Harrison’s. So even if you can’t escape the UK this month, you only have to pop to Balham for your very own passage to India...

Happy travelling, ON THE COVER

16 THE RAT PACK’S BACK

Bob Geldof on returning to the stage and why he’s no ‘reluctant’ grandfather

Style 23 CHECK IT OUT

Classic tartan, houndstooth, plaid – it’s all in fashion this February

24 UNDERCOVER LOVER Look lacy this Valentine’s Day

Health & Beauty 37 THE SCENT OF SPRING Lawrence Rouiller White fi nds this season’s fresh new fragrances

Interiors 41 RENOVATION DIARIES Georgie Coleridge Cole shows off her stylish new interiors

47 BACK TO THE FUTURE

Absolutely’s exclusive de Gournay shoot

Food & Travel 58 A PASSAGE TO INDIA

TV chef Rick Stein talks Cornwall, cooking and breakfast curries to Simon Moore

70 BACK TO BAKU

Where on earth is Azerbaijan?

Edwina Langley fi nds out

75 HOME FROM HOME

Consummate homebody, Alex Jones, on why she’d move to Bermuda

Georgie Lane-Godfrey

Property

Editor

94 IN THEIR OWN WORDS

FIND US ON FACEBOOK ‘ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES’ & TWITTER ‘ABSOLUTELY_MAGS’

112 SPOTLIGHT ON...

George Franks, Sales Director of Douglas & Gordon, tells us about his career

The very best of what Battersea has to offer

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ABSOLUTELY Wimbledon

EDITOR Georgie Lane-Godfrey EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Catherine Hales SUB-EDITOR Elli Richards CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Georgie Coleridge Cole, Charlie Gilkes, Robbie Honey

ADVERTISING MANAGER Luke Webb ACCOUNT MANAGER Debra Taylor GROUP PROPERTY DIRECTOR Alexandra Hunter SOUTH PROPERTY DIRECTOR Anna Hutton-Potts SOUTH PROPERTY EDITOR Lucie Pearce ART DIRECTOR Ray Searle SENIOR DESIGNER Phil Couzens PRODUCTION MANAGER Stewart Hyde MIDWEIGHT DESIGNER Gemma Isteed PRODUCTION DESIGNER Edward Taylor ARTWORKER Ekrem Yilmaz JUNIOR DESIGNER Rebecca Noonan PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Christine Mann FINANCE DIRECTOR Alexandra Hvid FINANCE MANAGER Marianne McFadden DIRECTOR Greg Hughes MANAGING DIRECTOR Sherif Shaltout PA TO THE MANAGING DIRECTOR Clarissa Forrest 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.

You can receive an online subscription for FREE or a postal subscriptions for 12 months, £30 respectively (to cover postage and packaging).

Please email us with your preferred option and details.

Published by ZEST MEDIA LONDON 213 WESTBOURNE STUDIOS ACKLAM ROAD W10 5JJ T: 020 7704 0588 F: 020 7900 3020 Zest Media London Ltd. cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and Zest Media London Ltd. take no responsibility for omissions or errors.

We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved.

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To book please call

020 8946 4875

18 leopold Road, Wimbledon SW19 7BD

www.esentehair.co.uk Online bookings also available

Commended Award in the Merton Business Awards 2010 & 2012 for Best Customer Services

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Absolutely

Holly Sharpe

M&S have really pulled out all stops in recent months and one of the results has been illustrator Holly Sharpe’s collaboration with the British brand. One of our favourite pieces in the collection has to be this make up bag – the perfect gift for a girlfriend this Valentine’s Day. £8.50, Centre Court Shopping Centre, SW19, 020 8944 8920;

monsoon.co.uk

monsoon.co.uk

OCHRE

Just falling on the right side of extravagant, this eye-catching lamp is less of a finishing touch and more of a centrepiece for any room that requires a dash of drama. We particularly love the glass pears because, well, who wouldn’t?

Price available on request;

orchre.net

’s itork EdP ic

ESTEE LAUDER

If, like the rest of us, the gale force winds battering London have started to take a bit of a toll on your skin, we can’t recommend anything better to repair the damage than Estée Lauder’s Advanced Repair Serum. £48, Available from Elys, 16 St George’s Road, SW19, 020 8946 9191;

elysonline.co.uk

Muste

Hav

RADLEY

The Hibbert backpack from Radley has to be one of the most adorable things we’ve seen in a while. From the Scottie dogs to the drawstring tie, there is nothing we don’t like about it, apart from the fact that it isn’t on our back right now. £95;

radley.co.uk

Cargo Home

L O V E S

MONSOON BRIDAL

We’re inching towards yet another wedding season and this year we’re determined to make like the Scouts and Be Prepared. With this in mind, we’ve got our eye on Monsoon’s marvelous wedding collection, in particular the choice for children, which is capital ‘C’, Cute.

Centre Court Shopping Centre, SW19, 020 8944 8920;

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner add a little more love to your life with this fabulous sign from Cargo Home. Would look perfect perched on an occasional table or bookshelf.

8 Wimbledon Bridge, SW19, 020 8545 0527;

cargohomeshop.com

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don’t miss

WHAT’S on FEBRUARY

In the Cinema

WINTER’S TALE Directed by Avika Goldsman Starring Colin Farrell & Russell Crow

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ot to be confused with the Shakespeare play of the same name Winter’s Tale tells the story of a burglar called Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) who falls in love with an heiress (Jessica Brown Findlay) only to lose her all too soon. Through a series of mysterious events and pursued by time through his enemies Peter ends up in modern day New York, unsure of anything other than his enduring love for his darling Beverly. Spanning more than a century this extraordinary love story is one of miracles, destiny and the ever-raging battle between good and evil. The film, directorial debut of Academy Award-winning screenwriter Avika

Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind), is based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Mark Helprin and features a galaxy of stars including Jessica Brown Findlay of Downton Abbey fame and Australian heavyweight Russell Crowe as the villain of the piece.

Incredibly promising newcomers include Ripley Sobo and Mckayla Twiggs fresh from the Broadway run of acclaimed Irish musical Once but the film’s heart is located unequivocally in Colin Farrell’s devastatingly romantic lead performance that is guaranteed to have every woman in the audience besotted by the time the credits roll.

GLASS CAT 2

Wimbledon College of Arts Until 14 Feb A sculpture exhibition examining the ‘potency of objects and the threshold between real and imaginary’ and featuring work from artists including Ruth Claxton, Oona Grimes, James Ireland, Sophie Lascelles, Helen Maurer, William Waterhouse, Sarah Woodfine, Tom Woolner.

Merton Hall Road, SW19, 020 7514 9641; arts.ac.uk/wimbledon

14th FEBRUARY

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ABSOLU TELY

ARTS & CULTURE Editor’s Pick

CIRQUE BERSERK

New Wimbledon Theatre 10~12 Feb Fresh from three sell-out seasons at Winter Wonderland come the astounding acrobats and terrific tumblers of the Cirque Beserk. Stunning aerial displays and death defying stunts combine to create a spectacle that delight and amaze those of all ages, the pinnacle of which is one of the world’s most dangerous circus acts: The Globe of Death. If that isn’t enough to convince you, the presence of Guinness World Record holding strong man, Hercules and award-winning clown Tweedy should seal the deal.

93 The Broadway, SW19, 020 8545 7900; atgtickets.com

SIX NATIONS

The Fox and Grapes 1 Feb~15 March Its that time of year again: crack out the face paint and flags, sever ties with your Scottish and Welsh friends and start praying that we can recapture the glory of 2011. Any seasoned rugby fan will tell you, there’s no better place to celebrate or commiserate during the action than in a good pub. We think The Fox and Grapes fits the bill perfectly.

9 Camp Road, Wimbledon Common, SW19, 020 8619 1300; foxandgrapeswimbledon.co.uk

7 WAR HORSE

WIMBLEDON ODEON

27 Feb Based on the book by Michael Morpurgo and brought to the stage by Nick Stafford, War Horse leads its viewers from idyllic rural Devon, deep into the trenches of the First World War. Poignant, powerful and staggeringly inventive, this National Theatre production is broadcast live from the West End to your local cinema.

Victoria Crescent, 57 The Broadway, SW19, 0871 224 4007; odeon.co.uk

This month we’re talking about...

BLACK 2 SUGARS Black 2 Sugars, written and produced by Kingston University student Ivo Bochenski and directed by Jane Alexandra Foster, is a short noir thriller about the dangers of modern technology; and also an ode to coffee. Filmed over two days in

b

Wimbledon in cooperation with local businesses owners (Veronica Liang at the Dalchini Hakka Restaurant, Charl and Adele Theron at Coffeecup) the project brings together film industry professionals and students – under the mentorship of Bracey Parish and Young Enterprise.

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ABSOLU TELY

ARTS & CULTURE Books Out of Town

BETFAIR SUPER SATURDAY Newbury Racecourse 8 FEBRUARY

ll racing enthusiasts not entirely cleared out by the Boxing Day meetings will have already marked out this season staple in their diaries as one of the precursors to the Cheltenham Gold Cup. One of the highlights of the day is the nail-biting Denman Chase, formerly the Aon Chase but renamed in 2008 after the winning horse, which covers three miles and features eighteen fences. For those more interested in the social side (as well as the opportunity to don a large hat) there is plenty happening around the raceground - parties looking for a decadent day out can hire a private box with all the trimmings whilst racegoers seeking a less formal experience can grab a buffet lunch at the Barbury or a sit down affair at the Herridge.

In short, grab your binoculars, pray for sunshine and a good day out will be had for all.

The Racecourse, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 7NZ, 01635 40015; racecoursenewbury.co.uk

A

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD Polka Theatre 20 Feb~8 March Everyone knows the story of the little girl in the red cape who went to visit her granny. Introduce your children to the tale with Olivier award-winning Mike Kenny’s magical adaptation that begins with a girl and her little brother staying over in their Grandmother’s attic, far too excited to stay in bed… With original songs

by Julian Butler, this show is the ideal family outing.

240 The Broadway, SW19, 020 8543 4888; polkatheatre.com

THE ECHO Colour House Theatre 22 Feb Formed out of a The Who tribute band, The Echo specialise in what they describe as ‘Maximum British Power Pop’. Audiences will be treated to classics from favourites including The Jam, The Small Faces, The Stranglers, Blur, Oasis, David Bowie, Ocean Colour Scene as well as many more. Grab your parka and summon up your best cry of “We are the mods!”

Watermill Way, SW19, 020 8542 5511; colourhousetheatre.co.uk

THE DECORATIVE ANTIQUE FAIR

FAME

New Wimbledon Theatre 20 Feb~1 March ‘I’m gonna live forever, I’m gonna learn how to fly!’ Sorry, we couldn’t resist. The all-singing, all-dancing musical is back in a brand new production; expect tears, crushed dreams and a whole lot of dancing through the pain as the talented students of the infamous High School for Performing Arts New York either scale new heights or crumble under the pressure - whatever the outcome, its one hell of a ride.

93 The Broadway, SW19, 020 8545 7900; atgtickets.com

Evolution 21~26 Jan The Antique Winter Fair offers a diverse mix of antique and 20th century statement pieces.

Unusual, yet practical items of 20th century and antique furniture, one-off upholstered pieces, original lighting, bold mirrors, colourful ceramics and glass, architectural salvage and garden furniture, works of art of all periods.

Chelsea Bridge Entrance, Battersea Park, SW11, 020 7836 1035; decorativefair.com

THE NEWS: A USER’S MANUAL

by Alain de Botton

T

he scandal of the Leveson Inquiry forced us to question the sometimes underhand methods of journalists, and reaffirmed not everything we read should be taken as gospel.

Despite this, the social importance and authority of the news is everprevalent. It is this that philosopher Alain de Botton explores.

Published 6 February, £18.99; Penguin

THE DEEPEST SECRET

by Carla Buckley

T

yler Lattimore is an ordinary teenage boy living under extraordinary circumstances. He suffers from a rare medical condition that renders him fatally sensitive to light. This means that life for Tyler and his protective mother, Eve, is conducted behind closed doors, and they only venture outside under nightfall. But when tragedy strikes, Eve is forced to protect her son from secrets that not even love can conceal.

Published 4 February, £20; Bantam Dell Publishing Group

THE COAT ROUTE

by Meg Lukens Noonan

S

hoppers are often torn between stocking up on cheap, disposable trends from high street chains or spending more on quality, investment pieces. But even the biggest spenders would balk at paying $50,000 for a coat.

When journalist and travel writer Meg Lukens Noonan learned of this expensive creation, she set off on a quest to find out how it was made.

Her journey took her from Sydney to Peru, on a quest to tell the story of this very special coat Published 14 February, £8.99; Scribe Publications All books available from Clapham Books, 120 Clapham High Street, SW4, 020 7627 2797; claphambooks.com

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R E S T A U R A N T

Nobody does romance quite like the Italians and restauranter Giacobbe Ruocco, who hails from the beautiful island of Capri, will be on hand to ensure that this Valentine’s Day will be your most romantic yet. Capri Restaurant, which is based in Wimbledon Village, has prepared a special Aphrodisiac Valentine menu featuring fine chocolates, champagne and flat oysters.

As an extra special treat, a live singer will be playing in the restaurant and available to serenade your date with a request of your favourite song.

Book your table now and make this Valentine’s Day truly a night to remember.

CAPRI RESTAURANT

28 Ridgway, Wimbledon Village SW19 4QW

T: 020 8946 4840 M: 07902 325 481 caprinvillage@gmail.com

WW W.C A PRI N V I L L A G E.COM

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Sandals with a

SOUL

JOE BROTHWELL TALKS TO FLIP-FLOP ENTREPRENEURS ROB & PAUL FORKAN ABOUT THEIR SOUTHFIELDS-BASED FOOTWEAR, GANDYS

T

he story of Gandys flip-flops has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. Tragic yet triumphant, the tale of two brothers Rob and Paul Forkan’s foray into footwear is nothing short of astounding.

When Paul was just 11 and Rob 13, their parents, Kevin and Sandra, took them out of secondary school to travel the world.

The Forkans swapped humdrum life in Croydon for the unknown. What followed was a nomadic childhood, which saw the family immerse themselves in different cultures. There was no grand plan; Kevin and Sandra simply wanted their children to see what life was like for other youngsters their age across the globe. Their first stop?

India, where they helped in orphanages, distributing food and medicine.

Yet this idyllic upbringing wasn’t to last. On Boxing Day in 2004 Kevin and Sandra Forkan were tragically killed when the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka. ‘People can’t quite believe that we made it 200km to the airport with no shoes, no money and no passports, having just lost our parents.

But we’d been bought up differently,’ says Rob about the aftermath of the disaster.

Channeling their grief, once back at home, the brothers threw themselves into humanitarian work.

Following a heavy night at a music festival, Rob woke up with ‘a mouth like Gandhi’s flip-flop’. With that flippant comment, 'Gandys flip-flops' were born.

Back in their one-bedroom flat in Brixton

– where Paul was relegated to the sofa – the brothers started taking baby steps to making their sandal dream a reality. They wanted the brand to be a fitting tribute to both parents, whilst somehow helping combat the poverty they’d encountered during their travels.

Still, with little experience and limited resources, it took hard graft to get the business up and running. ‘Until a year ago, it was just me and Paul doing all the work.

We were in charge of all of the product design and development. We started off with a natural hemp product made in India, but we decided we needed something more

durable and fashionable,’ Rob tells me.

They went back to the drawing board and sought inspiration from their home away from home, India. ‘The rope strap is inspired by all the time we spent in India and the passport stamp nods to our travels,’ he explains.

The duo decided to give 10% of the companies profits to the Orphans for Orphans

‘They’re aiming to build a children’s home in India over the course of 2014’ foundation. They’re also aiming to build a children’s home in India over the course of 2014, the 10 year anniversary of the Tsunami.

As the product evolved, interest in the brand grew, and the boys’ incredible story spread. The flip-flops hit the shops and sold out instantly in Topman. Paul was finally able to have his own bedroom.

‘At one point, we had staff members working in our kitchen, but last summer we

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ABSOLU TELY

LOCAL LIFE

outgrew it. We decided to move our offices to Southfields because you get some really great spaces and it has a good atmosphere,’ says Rob. Paul has been seduced by the area’s epicurean offerings. ‘I’ve become really obsessed with Chanteroy, this little French shop. It's such good quality

“Getting to walk down Downing Street in flipflops to meet David Cameron was a 2013 highlight” meats, cheeses and bread for such a good price.'

Not that they have much time to enjoy the area. The brothers are constantly on the move, exploring new and exciting ways to expand Gandys. ‘Last year we did a lot of travelling. One of our biggest trips was going to India to see the kids we've helped so far.

We love travelling – that's one of the main reasons we set up a flip-flop brand,’ says Rob. Between endless meetings and flights the duo have also

found time to woo big stores to stock their brand. Billionaire businessman, Richard Branson, was the first international stockist of Gandys. Thankfully though, you don’t have to schlep to Necker Island to pick up a pair; Gandys have now teamed up with Accessorize, which means the flipflops will be available on the high street.

Rob and Paul clearly had an incredible 2013, so when I ask what their highlight was, they have trouble picking just one.

‘The top three would have to be: working with Sir Richard Branson last summer, winning the WGSN Global Fashion award in November, and getting to walk down Downing Street in flip-flops to meet David Cameron,’ they enthuse.

But not only has Gandys been recognised for its philanthropic work, it has also been heralded by the fashion industry. Last year, Gandys won the Footwear and Accessories category at the WGSN Global Fashion Awards, indicating it is so much more than the product of a charity concept – it's bang on trend. ‘We really didn't expect

it so it was a great surprise for us. It felt awesome to be recognised as a top fashion brand. Last year Cambridge Satchel won the award and we really admire them so we were very happy to be following in their footsteps,’ the brothers chorus.

This recognition hasn’t gone unnoticed by fashionistas, with the style elite falling over themselves to step into the brand’s shoes; Jessica Alba, Jessie J and One Direction’s Niall have all been spotted sporting a pair.

‘Back when we were starting off in our one bedroom flat in Brixton, we made up a big poster that we called 'Famous Feet'.

It was our target of all the celebrities we hoped would one day eventually wear Gandys. We would still love to see Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge wearing a pair. She's the nation's sweetheart and we admire her for all the great charity work she does.’

Somehow, this doesn’t seem like a farfetched idea. If anyone can get the Duchess into a pair of Gandys – it’s this pair. gandysflipflops.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

THE

RAT PACK’S BACK

PROFANE PERFORMER, TRAILBLAZING PHILANTHROPIST & OUTSPOKEN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, BATTERSEA'S BOB GELDOF TALKS TO ABSOLUTELY ABOUT CHARITY & CHILDREN ABSOLUTELY: So, Bob, how did it feel to return as front man of the Boomtown Rats after almost 30 years?

BOB GELDOF: F*cking terrifying!

I didn’t know how to be a front man anymore. I didn’t know how to assume that persona. To sort of, somehow, ‘visually represent’ what the songs are saying, and the attitude of a collective group of individuals, is, I guess, how to do the job.

But I didn’t know how to do that, and I was thinking of ways to get back in there. So I hit upon the idea: ‘I‘ll wear a f*cking snakeskin suit.’ Bono was watching the Isle of Wight performance online and afterwards, he texted to congratulate me. I replied saying, ‘Who knew this snotty arrogant was living under a snakeskin suit?’

He replied, ‘I knew’.

ABS: So why did you decide to reform with the Rats? You seemed quite against the idea not so long ago...

BG: Age, curiosity: was it as good as I remembered? And cash, always handy, some of the guys weren’t as lucky as me. It’s a really powerful band and I’d forgotten that. I said to them, 'I’ll give it a try because enough time has passed and any silly band politics and resentments, triumphs and failures, have deeply receded in me.' That said, I don’t do nostalgia. It doesn’t interest me in the least. There’s no rear view mirror in this particular car.

ABS: Discussions round the Geldof dinner table must make for an interesting evening...

BG: Teatime with the Geldofs is a nightmare; it’s polemic. You’ve got my two girls, me, and when the

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ABSOLU TELY

ARTS & CULTURE

should shut the f*ck up and go back to their rock star mansions.’ But somebody in the pub will always say, ‘ah yeah, but he has a point’. Suddenly you’re talking about something you’d never talk about, because Bono and I are making a point. That’s really powerful, politically. Get them talking in the kitchen, the dining table, the pub and the cafe. You won’t get on television talking about Africa and poverty. I will.

‘‘You won’t get on television talking about Africa & poverty. I will’’

others come over, non-stop arguing.

That’s why I never like going to pubs because these arguments and discussions get shut down at closing time. It’s that typical Irish thing which drives me f*cking nuts. I never stop talking.

ABS: You’re now a grandfather. Has that freaked you out in anyway?

BG: I’m not freaked by it. I still have one [teenager] at home. I’ll do the grandfather thing when the boys become seriously sentient. Though I can’t do football or fishing with them, I’m sh*te at that. I’ll be down the V&A, boring the arse off them about Rossetti and Islamic art. Playing ridiculous tracks from Helmut Wolf.

ABS: So you are a typically grumpy grandpa then?

BG: Well, Captain Chuckles I ain’t!

That’s the one perception of me that’s spot on.

ABS: How is Peaches managing with two young children?

BG: Peaches is a great mum and he’s a great guy, although it’s full on. They’re very young parents with two tiny gorgeous little fellas, which, I have to admit, is a bit weird for me, having guys around. I swim in oestrogen.

That’s all I’m used to and I’m all the better for that.

ABS: 30 years from Band Aid, you’re still working tirelessly for Africa. Was philanthropy always important to you?

BG: It was never about philanthropy and charity, it was about politics and injustice. That poverty was so hugely unnecessary, and against our own self-interest. What I was saying then, was, ‘it’s an asymmetric world’. When you have half the world in poverty and half in wealth, things fall apart and the centre cannot hold.

People might say that we’re f*cking eejits – ‘jumped up pop stars who

ABS: Between the music, your media empire, charity and your philanthropic endeavours, do you ever take a break?

BG: I don’t like to take breaks, that’s the truth. To me, boredom is a traitorous friend. It prompts me to do things and remain exhaustively active. It comes from back in the day when I was a kid, when I couldn’t get anything going in Dublin and I was desperate because I did nothing in school. I’m not asking for violins but there was no one at home and I was cripplingly lonely. Being poor is sh*t.

So I have a fear of those two things; loneliness and poverty. Boredom gets me into this depression, so to stop going there, I stay frantically busy.

And by being frantically busy, I have a very interesting life.

ABS: Is that not an unhealthy pace to keep up with?

BG: Absolutely! I invent my fear every day. If I’m sitting there having my cup of coffee and the phone doesn’t ring, I freak out.

ABS: Why? BG: I’m a f*ck up. It’s not comfortable being me. The Geldof brand is much bigger than the actuality. It comes with all sorts of attributes – there’s the pop singer part, the business part and the guy-who-does-all-thetalks part. And sometimes you just want to say, ‘f*ck off !’ But they’re not separate to me and it’s not inconsistent. I know people find it hard to take me seriously with this pop stuff, but why would that bother me in the least? They can f*ck off – don’t take me seriously, I don’t give a sh*t. Just f*ck off !

For upcoming tour dates visit boomtownrats.co.uk

18

B&C_Feb_Bob_G.indd 18

08/01/2014 18:15

Absolutely

THE WINTER DECORATIVE FAIR

ONE FREE ENTRY WITH THIS AD

Antiques and 20th century design for interior decoration 21-26 JANUARY 2014 BATTERSEA PARK, LONDON DECORATIVE FAIR.indd 2 1 DF_Absolutely_210x297.indd

decorativefair.com 08/01/2014 16:14 15:56

You’ve got your prince, we’ve got your palace

Don’t miss the

Hampton Court Palace wedding fair The Garden Room Sunday 23 February 11:00 - 16:00 Free entry

So you’ve found your beau, now you just need a venue. Discover for yourselves the majesty and flamboyance of Hampton Court Palace, from the tranquil scented gardens and secret riverside spots, to the opulent state rooms.

With an experienced Events team on hand to meet your personal requirements, at Hampton Court Palace you’ll be treated like royalty.

• A choice of indoor and outdoor sites • Rooms to suit all needs, from an intimate reception for 15 to a lavish banquet for 300 • Convenient for London, with good road and rail links

Dress courtesy of johanna-hehir.com

Discover your majestic wedding at Historic Royal Palaces Visit hrp.org.uk/hireavenue or call 020 3166 6507 Historic Royal Palaces weddings: Hampton Court Palace • Banqueting House • Kensington Palace

hampton court palace.indd 2

06/01/2014 16:46

ABSOLU TELY

CATWALK & CLOSET EDIT PI OR’S

CK

Clutch CONTROL

Radley have teamed up with British designer Holly Fulton, to create this capsule collection; a mix of bold, graphic patterns and well-crafted leather.

Stocked at House of Fraser, 68 King William Street, EC4; radley.co.uk

Soft OPTION

Muste

Hav

Don’t miss Madeleine Thompson’s new collection, filled with slouchy, sporty numbers.

Made from 100% cashmere, we love the ‘Shortstop’ jumper. £298, Available from Iris Fashion, 97 Northcote Road, SW11, 020 7924 1836; irisfashion.co.uk

Bodes WELL

The Boden AW13 collection is fizzing with colour, prints and embellishments: dropped waist dresses, snazzy ‘Bistro’ cropped trousers, contemporary checks and more. Bright, bold and Boden. boden.co.uk

HAVE A HEART

Swarovski crystal, sterling silver and glass pearls, British design studio Kleshna Jewellery’s costume pieces are high-end.

We’ve got our hearts set on this Sweet Heart Bracelet for Valentine’s. £250; kleshna.com

Rosie POSIE

FASHION NOTES

Supermodel Rosie HuntingtonWhiteley has marked the first anniversary of her Rosie for Autograph collection for M&S by continuing her vintage aesthetic.

We’re sold on the silk Teddy in nude. £45, 45-49 St John’s Road, SW11, 020 7228 2545; marksandspencer.com

21

B&C_Feb_Fashion_Notes.indd 21

08/01/2014 13:37

Open Sundays 12pm-5pm

Open 7 days a week 10 am - 10 pm

Beautiful Bespoke Jewellery

Show your True Love with a special gift

The natural way to balance body and soul

♥ xxx

Book online at thaicharmsmassage.com or call for an appointment

Specialist in re-design of dated or inherited jewels.

Restoration work & valuations undertaken.

Friendly professional service.

Visit website for full details

Choomse Swedish · Aromatherapy · Thai Foot · Head & Shoulder Massage fro Traditional Thai Massage, Waxing & Nail · Body Scrub

www.michaelplatt.co.uk

Thai Charms Wimbledon 23 Leopold Road, Wimbledon Park SW19 7BB

Goldsmiths and Jewellers in Wimbledon Village 1 Church Road | Wimbledon Village | London SW19 5DW | 020 8947 4772

Michael Platt_Feb.indd 1

DAVID GATELY.indd 1

•ADVERTS.indd 1

020 8947 6600

Thai17:27 Charms_v2.indd 1 08/01/2014

Thai Charms Battersea 190 Battersea Park Road, Battersea SW11 4ND

0207 622 8383

12/11/2013 09:36

10/06/2013 10:00

08/01/2014 18:32

ABSOLU TELY

CATWALK & CLOSET SOPHIA WEBSTER PENELOPE TARTAN AND PATENT LEATHER PUMPS,

£450; brownsfashion.com PREEN BY THORNTON BREGAZZI RED TARTAN BO BIKER JACKET, £1,360;

avenue32.com

ISSA AW13

EDIT PI OR’S

CK

ERIC BOMPARD TARTAN SCARF, £95;

PETER SOM EMERALD PLAID SILK TROUSERS,

eric-bompard.com

£565; avenue32.com

CHARLES PHILIP SHANGHAI TASSELED TARTAN SLIPPERS,

£115; net-a-porter.com

NO. 21 PLAID-PRINT MINI-SKIRT,

£275; matchesfashion.com

CH E CK IT OUT

Who knew that laundry-bag squares would end up ruling the runway? Plaid, houndstooth & classic tartan – check.

Get ready for some serious grid reverence ELIZABETH AND JAMES BOYFRIEND PLAID SILK SHIRT,

£265; matchesfashion.com

ERIC BOMPARD CASHMERE JUMPER, £245; eric-bompard.com

23

B&C_Feb_fashion_Products.indd 23

08/01/2014 13:41

Undercover

LOVER Racy lacy looks for valentine’s day Photography Steve Wallington Alex Longmore

FEB SHOOT.indd 24

08/01/2014 18:38

Black plain bra, £42 and black plain pants £21

by Studio La Perla, laperla.com, or at houseoffraser.co.uk 08456 021 03 Lace bunny ears, £7, urbanoutfitters.co.uk

FEB SHOOT.indd 25

08/01/2014 13:44

Black baby doll, halter neck negligee £425, myla.com, 08448736111 Black pants £18 by Sexy Pants and Naughty Knickers, pomlampson.com, 020 7376 5336 Heart and arrow necklace £208, daisyknights.com, 01608811889

FEB SHOOT.indd 26

08/01/2014 18:37

Black body with lace, £376, by Chantal Thomas at petitsbisous.com 020 73527044 Black velvet strappy heels, £570, Gina Gold heart ring, £180

by Daisy Knights, as before

FEB SHOOT.indd 27

08/01/2014 13:44

FEB SHOOT.indd 28

08/01/2014 13:44

Nude and black lace body, £385, Sarrieri, http://www.sarrieri.com Black stones knuckleduster ring £316

by ESHVI.co.uk 02033999303

FEB SHOOT.indd 29

08/01/2014 18:38

Black stripy lingerie dress, £350, bordelle.co.uk, 02089684488 Black patent peep toe platform heels £140, Kurt Geiger Star necklace, £180, kirstengoss. com

Photography: Steve Wallington Styling: Alex Longmore Assisted by: Beatrice Trodden Hair & Make Up: Aly Hazelwood using Rococo Nail Apparel Model: Tyler @ FM With thanks to The Portobello Hotel 22 Stanley Gardens, W11 2NG 020 7727 2777

FEB SHOOT.indd 30

08/01/2014 18:39

g l ud c

n n e l IOpu Bespoke Couture

beautifully designed for your moment to shine!

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE AND

SPECIAL OCCASION OUTFITS EVENING AND COCKTAIL WEAR

BESPOKE ACCESSORIES

Katja

N u u t i n e n COUTURE LONDON

Katja Nuutinen Couture t. 020 8944 8848, info@kncouture.com 7 Leopold Road, Wimbledon, SW19 7BB

WWW.KNCOUTURE.COM KATJA NUUTINEN.indd 2

08/01/2014 10:26

BEAUTIFUL WEIGHT LOSS It's always the right time to try something new. New to you, but where hundreds of people just like you have bravely gone before. They've lost weight, got properly fit and found a balance, a way of living, that will outlive a thousand fads.

We are weight loss experts. We don't mess around. Our plans support you intelligently from start to finish and then we show you how to keep it - forever.

For nearly twenty years we've changed the bodyshape, habits, mindset of exceptional people, just like you. It doesn't matter if you've failed before. What matters is that you're content with where you are. If not, set aside some time and just get the job done - once and for all.

The Intensive Programme combines our simple eating method with world class personal training. We train you for optimal fat burn and metabolic uplift. In your own home - six hours a week.

Our Dietitians coach you, monitor your body composition weekly and ensure you're highly motivated. Most women lose twenty pounds, men thirty. Such is life.

Our Optimum Weight Loss Programme coaches you personally for 12-weeks, shedding body fat and taking you back to basics.

No gimmicks. We simply teach you how to eat again. We cut through any lifestyle challenges and show you how to come out on top. We can support you from our Belgravia Clinic absolutely anywhere in the world.

We obsess about your metabolism, so you don't have to. Simply hand yourself over and do exactly what we say. For six weeks, or twelve. We'll be honest about what you need.

All we have is our health and our bodies – whatever your age or lifestyle, we will help you be the best you can be.

Why settle for compromise? We don't.

Sound Accessible Nutrition | Metabolic Workouts | Intelligent Lifestyle Support

www.louiseparker.uk.com Telephone: 0800 084 2828

FULL PAGE.indd 2

23/09/2013 12:59

ABSOLU TELY

HEALTH & BEAUTY

3 OF THE BEST TRAVEL SETS

3

1 2 1. Laura Mercier Body & Bath Milk, £60; uk.spacenk.com 2. Liz Earle Overnight Travel Kit, £39; uk.lizearle.com 3. Percy & Reed Va-Va-Voom Volume Bag, £15; uk.spacenk.com

FLUTTER & FLIRT

Ramp up the volume for Valentine’s Day dates with Neal’s Yard Remedies new lengthening mascara. Made with 100% natural ingredients and given the sustainable seal of approval by the Soil Association, it’s proven to increase lash length by up to 85%. Get fluttering. £16, 95 High Street, Wimbledon Village, SW19, 020 8947 3155;

EDIT PI OR’S

CK

nealsyardremedies.com

kiss it better

BEAUTY Confidential

This month, Lulu Guinness and Clinique have teamed up to create a Limited Edition Coin Purse, filled with Clinique’s Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Super Strawberry. What’s more, buying one really does mean that you can ‘kiss it better’ as the full retail price is being donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Lovely. £55, Available exclusively at

clinique.co.uk

Salon of the month | EDWARD JAMES, Battersea

Sweet Escape

For Spring 2014, fashion house Nina Ricci is collaborating with luxury French pâtisserie Ladurée to launch new limited edition fragrance, La Tentation de Nina. Fresh, floral and fruity, the perfume combines raspberry, almond, lemon and Bulgarian rose with a macaron accord to channel Ladurée’s most famous product. You’ll smell good enough to eat. £40, Available from Les Parfums, The Exchange Shopping Centre, Putney High Street, SW15;

ninaricci.com

luxurious boutique salon on Northcote Road, Edward James has something many of its contemporaries lack: unpretentiousness. You see, rather than the usual subway tiles, monotone interiors and chromeladen washing stations, Edward James is warm and inviting.

Colourful soft furnishings sit against the teal wall backdrop and natural wood and stone abound.

Here, the focus is very much of ‘wellbeing’ rather than simply getting your hair done. The salon follows the Aveda philosophy so all treatments use ethical Aveda products and come with

A

a complimentary back, neck and shoulder massage using essential aromatherapy oils. There are also hand massages on offer if you’re waiting for a colour to take, as well as a glass of bubbly – not

technically good for wellbeing, but rather nice all the same.

I entrusted my hair to salon director Natalie, who expertly washed, cut and blowdried. My locks were left hydrated, shiny and full of body, and me, smothered in compliments. But it wasn’t so much my glossy mane which would make me return to this lovely salon, as the overall experience: relaxing, reviving and wonderfully indulgent, this is the place to go to really be spoiled.

By Georgie Lane-Godfrey

Edward James London, 18 Northcote Road, SW11, 020 7223 6225; edwardjameslondon.com

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08/01/2014 17:51

S

FR to PE w EE Abs OF C he lin o n en lu FE IA y o t te L u hro ly R or w re de , ad r y wo er ou rth s. rs £ of 89 a. ,

Shop for your sofa off the high street.

Pay for British craftsmanship, not unnecessary overheads.

Key in lock. Jacket on newel post. Feet out of shoes. Ah, yes…that familiar welcome home as you sink into your Sofas & Stuff sofa.

It’s the shape you decided on from the dozens we offer. It’s stuffed anywhere from cloud soft to supportive. It’s covered in the fabric, colour, texture and fibre you found most sympathetic from our huge range of samples (Belgian linen and Harris tweed are becoming very popular).

And, if you have exceptionally long legs, or wanted a sofa a bit higher in the back, say, you may have opted for a ‘made-to-measure’.

By operating off the high street, at Sofas & Stuff we save you (and ourselves) stress and money. So you’re able to park near and for nothing. And we’re able to offer a lifetime guarantee on every frame and spring.

Window-shop the range on our website. Or, for information and directions to your nearest Sofas & Stuff, let’s speak on 0207 078 8835.

sofasandstuff.com 7 PARSONS GREEN DEPOT, PARSONS GREEN LANE, LONDON SW6 4HH

SOFAS & STUFF.indd 2

07/01/2014 16:47

ABSOLU TELY

HEALTH & BEAUTY Edito r Pick ’s

2 1 3

4

8

5

PRETTY IN

PINK

7

8 of the most provocative products for Valentine’s Day

6

1. Alice & Eliza Be Mine Cosmetics Bag, £7.50; marksandspencer.com 2. Champneys Distant Shores Body Butter, £10; boots.com 3. Oui STEAMCREAM, £12.95; asos.com 4. Aromatherapy Associates Rose Massage & Body Oil, £40; uk.spacenk.com 5. NARS Villa Lante Satin Lip Pencil, £18, and Love Blush, £22.50; selfridges.com 6. Mark Hill Pink Leopard Straight & Shine Power Dryer, £59.99; boots.com 7. Jo Malone Red Roses Cologne 100ml, £78; jomalone.co.uk 8. Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Uber Pink Lip Colour in New Neon Pink and Pink Kiss, £19; bobbibrown.co.uk

35

B&C_Feb_Beauty_Products.indd 35

08/01/2014 12:29

ZENITH DRY CLEANERS & LAUNDERERS

LONDON

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Shellac Gel Manicure £20 Quote ‘ABSOLUTELY’

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020 8785 4759

www.atelier-mlondon.com

203 Replingham Road SW18

ATELIER-M_FEB.indd 1

|

www.zenithdrycleaners.co.uk

|

020 8874 8651

AMPLE PARKING AT THE CORNER OF PIRBRIGHT ROAD

*On 1 small area and 1 medium area (lip, chin, bikini, toes, nipple area) Hollywood Brazilian underarms, 1/2 legs, 1/2 arms £399 full legs or full back /chest Limited time only

08/01/2014 16:54 Zenith_Jan.indd 1

08/01/2014 16:58

OH-SO SMOOTH

A New Year, A New Look, A New You!

THE SCIENCE OF PERFECT SKIN

20% off all treatments throughout February

OPENING HOURS MON : 8.30am - 5.30pm TUE : 9.00am - 6.00pm WED : CLOSED THU : CLOSED FRI

: 7.30am - 6.00pm

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www.oh-so-smooth.com 08/01/2014 14:33

08/01/2014 17:18

ABSOLU TELY

HEALTH & BEAUTY

The Scent of

SPRING With the change of season comes a change of scent. Lawrence Rouiller White shines a light on the best of the latest fragrance releases and finds more than a few gems

T

hameen is a new luxury fragrance brand, and certainly one to watch. Each of the company’s five extraitstrength scents is inspired by a famous treasure. Moon of Baroda is an absolute diamond.

Lebanese cedar – the best I have ever encountered – opens and closes this fragrance.

You can smell sunshine in the wood and it is warm and dry.

This segues into Taif Rose: the rarest and most costly rose on the planet, which only grows around the ancient city of Taif. The base is once again Lebanese cedar: this is a very clever construct – a Taif sandwich – and very hard to do. The scent moves from cedar to Taif, back and forth with hypnotic rhythm. The inspiring treasure, the Moon of Baroda, is a huge, 24-carat, canary yellow diamond of extraordinary clarity. It was discovered in Baroda, India and worn subsequently by both the Empress Maie Theresa of Austria and Marilyn Monroe on her promotional tour for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in which she sang ‘Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend’.

The history of Atkinsons 1799 reads like a fairy story and is all about new beginnings. In the spring of 1799, James Atkinson set forth with his trusty pet bear from his home in the north of England to make his fortune in London. His aim was to scent the great and good of Georgian Britain, his bear by his side.

Having lain dormant for many years Atkinsons is back with a vengeance. No bear this time, just super fragrances.

24 Old Bond Street, inspired by the original 1800 recipe, is a very English cologne; an aromatic cocktail of juniper, rose and black tea, deepened with smoky, oak-casked whisky. The relationship with the scent is very personal and very intimate, as it works with your skin as you wear it. Quite sensational.

Icelandic perfumer, Andrea Maack, works in a unique way. Firstly, she constructs an original work of art, which she uses as the visual brief for the nose with whom she is working on the project. Maack’s latest creation deals with her fascination with folklore and is a journey through a mystical forest. Fresh green, grassy notes, earthy accords and warm, resinous woods, weave their magic throughout this very modern fragrance. Perfect for the New Year, the beautiful addition of cool, green rhubarb makes it a very refined scent, a scent of distinction.

Kashnoir is the latest unisex creation by genius Italian brand, Laboratorio Olfattivo.

This glorious woody oriental opens with alternating notes of fresh lemon, bright bergamot and warm lavender around a heart of coriander, velvetyrose and sophisticated orange blossom. Patchouli, resinous

benzoin, almondy heliotrope and luxurious vanilla at the base, render it a very wearable, elegant and assured scent.

As we all look forward to the beginning of spring no perfume seems more pertinent than Byredo Parfums’ Inflorescence.

Founding perfumer, Ben Gorham, imagined a floral scent that would capture the drama of spring blooms as they reach their flowering peak. The result is a wonderfully heady concoction; rich lush roses at the top, packing a powerful punch, with sweet pink freesia.

Creamy, milky magnolia and lily-of-the-valley, two of spring’s first flowers, lie at the heart of this tribute to re-birth and renewal. Indeed, in the Language of Flowers, 'lily-ofthe-valley' means ‘a return to happiness’. Unusually, Ben has used jasmine at the base of this scent, creating a freshness one would not expect. I say, roll on spring!

rouillerwhite.com

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08/01/2014 11:56

KONIG KITCHENS_DEC.indd 2

05/11/2013 09:43

ABSOLU TELY

HOUSE & GARDEN

BEDS OF PARADISE Add a tropical touch to your bedroom with M&S’s exotic floral linens

Feb_Interior_Opener.indd 39

08/01/2014 14:35

RENOVATION d

i

a

r

i

e

s

GEORGIE COLERIDGE COLE TAKES ABSOLUTELY ON HER DECORATIVE JOURNEY AS SHE REFURBISHES HER WANDSWORTH HOME

E

ditor & Founder of SheerLuxe.com, Georgie Coleridge Cole has lived in Wandsworth pretty much all her life. Four years ago she and her husband (aka ‘TA’ - The Accountant) bought a three bedroom house in the popular Tonsleys adjacent to Wandsworth Town. Now a mother of two, she’s moving to the other side of East Hill and taking on a project to create their forever home. This is the diary of her journey…

THE SITTING ROOM

L

ike the rest of the house, the sitting room had not been touched for years. The dated cupboard units, old fashioned fireplaces and rotten glass doors to the courtyard all had to go.

We ripped everything out and The London Alcove Company built beautiful cupboards and shelving units. Instead of incurring the cost of ripping out one of the chimney breasts, we filled it and on the

Before

other one, built a new more modern surround from rendered brick.

Karndean was laid throughout the entire ground floor from the hall to the sitting room, through to the kitchen for aesthetic flow and low maintenance. Capella Shutters fitted

After ‘Finishing touches included the ottoman from Sofa & Chair Co.’

40

Feb_GCC_Diary.indd 40

08/01/2014 18:31

ABSOLU TELY

HOUSE & GARDEN

THE UTILITY ROOM

F

or London houses that aren’t deep enough to dig a full size basement, converting your cellar into a utility room is a bit of a no-brainer.

Even if your ceiling is low, then you can still dig down. We tanked and plastered ours, laid an inexpensive but smart vinyl floor from Carpet Base and replaced the rickety old staircase. Washing, tools, sports kit, wine, mega flow, you name it – all out of sight. For not much money you can

add some real value.

We bought a brilliant yet inexpensive kitchen from Howdens (howdens.com) and had our builder fit it. The service was great, they came to measure and delivered pretty much the next day. However, they supply trade, so your builder will need an account with them.

Before After

‘We bought a brilliant yet inexpensive kitchen from Howdens (howdens.com)’

shutters and the room is framed by Stockholm Stitch Curtains which are made, like all the soft furnishings, by Fabrics & Papers.

Finishing touches included the ottoman from Sofa & Chair Co., Iggy sofas in Elephant Velvet from Sofa. com, a pair of Emily Chairs from Sofa.com, Side Tables from John Lewis and a dresser and desk from Nordic Style.

The cream rug was quite simply a deep pile luxe piece of carpet that was invisibly seamed by Carpet Base – an ingenious, cost-effective solution.

CapellaShutters.com Thesofandchair.co.uk Sofa.com Johnlewis.com Nordicstyle.com

41

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08/01/2014 14:34

BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRATIONAL BATHROOMS BY GLASSTRENDS

We are a local established company offering traditional service and values along side high quality and competitively priced brands. Please feel free to call in for a chat about your bathroom requirements where one of our experienced advisors will be happy to guide and advise you through your bathroom design.

Visit our showroom at 163a St John’s Hill, London SW11 1TQ or CALL 020 7223 4017 to receive our brochure.

Alternatively visit www.glasstrends.co.uk

ASK ABOUT OUR PRICE MATCH GUARANTEE ON BESPOKE SHOWERS GLASSTRENDS_FEB.indd 1

08/01/2014 14:37

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 LANDSCAPE GRATE EXPECTIONS.indd 1

•ADVERTS.indd 3

www.grateexpectations.com info@grateexpectations.com

17/01/2013 14:08

08/01/2014 17:18

GEORGIE’S Kitchen tips • Combi Microwave / Oven as well as an oven is a must. Although it can still work as either an oven or a microwave separately, when it’s both, it halves the normal oven cooking time.

• Go for extra thick worktops.

The price doesn’t vary much and they look far more luxe.

• Moulded sinks look really smart

DOORS

After ‘There was also a courtyard that was left when the original side return was put in.’

Before

THE KITCHEN

T

he Kitchen was out of another era. Designed

by Anthony Warrell Thompson, it had a curved wooden island for filming, exposed brickwork, units with Perspex boxes on the fronts filled with beans and pulses and an enormous walk-in pantry and fridge.

The floor was old terracotta tiles, the side return had a sloping glass roof and there was a brick

column containing steel in the middle too. There was also a courtyard that was left when the original side return was put in.

We ripped it all out (including a chimney breast), added lots of new steel and dug out the floor. We also included a clever box frame which is wellconcealed, there’s no need for a pole or column in the middle.

Wren’s Cashmere Gloss Kitchen was then fitted along with a Corian Worktop.

Cedar Bifold Company, New Centor C1 Aluminium Doors.

FLOOR Karndean, Ebony Van Gogh.

TABLE GoModern

CHAIRS Philippe Stark Ghost Chairs

SOFA Emily @ sofa.com

SOFT FURNISHINGS Fabrics & Papers

Wrenliving.com Cedarbifoldcompany.com Karndean.com fitted by Carpet Base on Cavendish Road Gomodern.co.uk Sofa.com Fabricsandpapers.com

After 43

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08/01/2014 14:35

hudson construction ltd

hudson Construction Ltd 27 Angel Road | Thames Ditton, Surrey KT7 0AU 0208 224 5061 | www.hudsonconstruction.co.uk Company Reg: 7489468

HUDSON.indd 1

10/06/2013 15:44

ABSOLU TELY

HOUSE & GARDEN

s tor’ Edi ick P 1

THE LIGHT FANTASTIC 9 of the best Quirky Lights

2 3 5

4

6

8

9

Muste

Hav

7

1. Memory Balloon Glass Ceiling Light, £145.95; shoponyourdoorstep.com 2. Jeeves Pendant Light, £175; frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk 3. White Rabbit Light, £78; whiterabbitengland.com 4. Grandmas Lounge Multi Shade Pendant, £325; alexanderandpearl.co.uk 5. Abigail Ahern Edition Designer Pelican Lamp, £85; debenhams.com 6. Edison The Dog Lamp, £75; rockettstgeorge.com 7. Graham & Green; grahamandgreen.co.uk 8. Droog Sticky Lamp, £30.95; dutchbydesign.com 9. G and M Graphic Lamps, POA; delightfull.eu

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08/01/2014 17:19

ABSOLU TELY

HOUSE & GARDEN

BACK TO THE

FUTURE WE PAY HOMAGE TO CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH ABSOLUTELY’S EXCLUSIVE DE GOURNAY SHOOT STYLED BY TARA CRAIG & EMMA STOREY PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALIE DINHAM

Earlham WALLPAPER in special colourway on Sung Blue Williamsburg, £694 a panel, De Gournay. Fionn shaped upholstered HEADBOARD with Wearstler Collection fringing, kingsize, £1,925, Ensemblier. Smokey blue linen SATEEN by Sequana, £106 per metre, Tissus d’Helene. Khumbu BLANKET in yellow, £1,100, Rose Uniacke. Crushed linen double DUVET in white £265; Crushed linen double SHEET in white £120; Crushed linen PILLOWCASES in white, £45 each, all Volga Linen. Dahlia, saffron/champignon linen, hand embroidered CUSHIONS, £760, Vanderhurd. Calia table LAMP, £282, Michael Reeves. Vintage Adana Kilim RUG, £1,095, The Rug Company. Roman CHAIR in beech, £3,750, Howe London. Rulhman wine TABLE in oak, £950, Jamb. Small white hanging LANTERN, £1,920, Rose Uniacke. Arlington tassel TIE BACK in blue, £255, Colefax & Fowler.

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STYLE

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HOUSE & GARDEN

FAR LEFT Mountains Above Clouds WALLPAPER on gold gilded paper, £509 per panel, De Gournay.

Hope CHAIR, in oak with hand-stitched horse hair saddle seat, upholstered in goatskin, £2,853, Howe London. 19th century arts and crafts TABLE in ash wood, £2,200, Dean Antiques. George II giltwood LOOKING-GLASS in the manner of William Kent, original bevelled glass, £5,000, Ossowski. Hermes bleu d’ailleurs TEAPOT, £323; TEA CUP & SAUCER, £119; COFFEE CUP & SAUCER, £101, from Thomas Goode. LEFT OWL LIGHT, £1,232, Collier & Webb.

The Milne LAMP with Ikat SHADE, £500, Soane.

ABOVE Kiso Mountains WALLPAPER on statue India tea paper, £805 per panel, De Gournay. Italian Settle SOFAS upholstered in Argento silk velvet, £4,965, De Gournay. Hardwicke buttoned-top OTTOMAN, £1,528, Dudgeon. Hoof occasional TABLE, £2,640, Rose Uniacke. Hoof occasional TABLE with marble top, £2,640, Rose Uniacke.

Atlas, charcoal, hand embroidered CUSHION, £640; Flower cut out, coral/moonstone linen, hand printed CUSHION, £220; Criss + cross, cream/charcoal linen, hand embroidered CUSHION, £500; Berber zig zag, saffron/champignon linen, hand embroidered CUSHION, £760, all from Vanderhurd. Aqua sari silk klimt RUG, £8,004, Luke Irwin. Cluster column LAMP BASE, £1,264; Cream SHADE, £115, Collier & Webb. Hermes bleu d’ailleurs TEA CUP & SAUCER, £119, Thomas Goode. Casey Moore PICTURE framed

by Campbells of London. FLOWERS by Nikki Tibbles,Wild at Heart

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HOUSE & GARDEN

L’Eden WALLPAPER on custom red scenic xuan paper, £1,554 per panel, De Gournay. Livia shaped upholstered HEADBOARD with antiqued studs, kingsize, £1,925, Ensemblier. Coral nappa leather, £15.92 per sq ft, Howe Fabrics. Urn-shaped plaster table LAMP with orange cotton LAMPSHADE, £2,400 for the pair, Talisman. Dark grey linen double DUVET COVER, £258; Dark grey and light grey linen standard PILLOWCASE, £43.20, both from Larusi. Traquair bright cashmere THROW, rust, £475, Johnstons of Elgin. Asan ruby handwoven DHURRIE, £695, The Rug Company Studio Collection.

Essential support double divan BED set from Myers, £299, Furniture Village. Gueridon pattes de lion, Flower cut out, coral/moonstone linen, handprinted CUSHION, £220, Vanderhurd. SIDE TABLE with lion feet, £13,249.99, Marc de Berny. Victorian hall CHAIR, mahogany, £1,200 for the pair, Hawker Antiques. Gloria TRAY, £390, Hermes.

STYLISTS: Tara Craig & Emma Storey PHOTOGRAPHER: Natalie Dinham WITH THANKS TO: Rachel Cecil Gurney and White Van Gentlemen.STOCKISTS: campbellsoflondon.co.uk/colefax.com/ collectionpierre.com/collierwebb.com/deanantiques.co.uk/degournay.com/dudgeonsofas.com/ensemblierlondon.com/furniturevillage.co.uk/hawkerantiques.com/uk.hermes.com/ howelondon.com/jamblimited.com/johnstonscashmere.com/larusi.com/lukeirwin.com/michaelreevesassociates.co.uk/ossowski.co.uk/soane.co.uk/talismanlondon.com/tcraig.co.uk/therugcompany.com/ thomasgoode.com/tissusdhelene.co.uk/vanderhurd.com/virginiawhite.co.uk/whitevangentlemen.com/wildatheart.com

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08/01/2014 14:40

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05/11/2013 17:39 08/01/2014 18:32

ABSOLU TELY

GARDENING NOTES

HOUSE & GARDEN

Make like a tree Celebrating the simple beauty of the most obvious but smallest part of a tree, Overleaf is a collection of 74 detailed paintings of leaves.

Accompanying sister-in-law, Susan’s, sweetly simple illustrations, Richard Ogilvy writes a concise portrait of each tree and explains how it relates it to environment. £18 (Kew Publishing); amazon.co.uk

GLOVES OFF

Made from soft cream leather and pretty English rose linen, these gardening gauntlets are luxurious, lightweight and handmade in Britain. Perfect for an English country garden. £28.95; annabeljames.co.uk

TALES OF A POTTER

Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life tells of how the Peter Rabbit tale arose from letters to a four-year-old in Wandsworth – her former governess’s son.

Studies of Hill Top’s garden and Potter’s plant portraits make this book even more delightful. £16.99 (Timber Press), available from Waterstones, The Exchange, Putney High Street, SW15, 020 8780 2401; waterstones.com

The Insider ROBBIE HONEY GIVES HIS TOP TIP FOR THE MONTH oneysuckle blooming in winter is one of those botanical paradoxes that makes me smile.

Fragrant Winter Honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima is a winter flowering Chinese native that blossoms in the darkest and coldest months. It blooms with creamy-white flowers between December and March on nearly-bare branches,

H

followed by red berries and green leaves in spring. This wonderful semi-evergreen shrub does particularly well when grown against a sunny wall. I like to plant it near an entrance or alongside a pathway in order to maximize the joy of its delicious scent in the winter months when not much else is blooming in the garden. robbiehoney.com

PICTURE PERFECT

Honeytree Publishing’s range of cute cards and invites can be customised with a horticultural cartoon of your choice, which makes them a fantastic gift for gardeners. We’re particular fans of the wonderful wellingtons. £1.95 each; honeytreepublishing.com

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FOOD & TRAVEL

LONDON CALLING

Opening in Battersea Square this month is the latest edition to the Ramsay empire, London House. Irish born chef Anna Kelly will be heading up the kitchen in what promises to be a ‘relaxed, cosy restaurant offering Modern European cooking and a polished destination cocktail bar.’ Exciting! gordonramsay.com/londonhouse

food NOTES COOK FOR GOOD

Local masterchef Michel Roux Jr has collaborated with RICS this month to create a charity recipe book. Raising money for CRASH, a charity which offers financial and professional support to homeless charities, the book features a collection of recipes from some of property’s best known personalities, as well as a foreword from Michel himself. £10; rics.org/cookbook

WINTER WARMERS

Stave off the cold this month with some of the wonderful warming recipes from GBBO’s Winter Kitchen cookbook. Filled with simple, seasonal recipes, we recommend trying your hand at the Spiced Tarte Tartin.

The Great British Bake Off: Winter Kitchen, (£20, BBC Books), available from Clapham Books, 120 Clapham High Street, SW4, 020 7627 2797; claphambooks.com

LITTLE BLACK BOOK

CHARLIE GILKES

COCKTAIL of the month

THE FORBIDDEN LOVE Created by the highly innovative Vincenzo Sibillia at our speakeasy bar, Barts, this delicious chocolate-y concoction is perfect for Valentine’s Day. 45ml of Havana 7 Rum infused with chocolate butter • 20ml of cherry Juice 1/2 fresh pear • 10ml of sugar 15ml of fresh lemon juice

BRICKWOOD COFFEE & BREAD Filled with Claphamites fresh from workouts, and serving sandwiches from Brixton’s artisan bakery Bread Bread, Brickwood is truly local. Perfect for a lazy weekend brunch, don’t miss the Guinness and Chocolate Cake.

16 Clapham Common South Side, SW4, 020 7819 9614; brickwoodlondon.com

METHOD

Muddle the pear in a Boston glass, pour in all the ingredients and then shake and double strain into a cold martini glass. Garnish with chocolates, rose petals and, if you’re feeling adventurous, a chocolate fountain.

Charlie owns and runs several venues in southwest London; inception-group.com

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CHILLI BEES CATER FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES, ANNIVERSARIES, INFORMAL AND FORMAL DINNER PARTIES,REUNIONS AND EVEN ROMANTIC DINNERS FOR TWO. WHATEVER YOUR REQUIREMENTS, NUMBERS OR BUDGET, WE CAN HELP CATER EVERYTHING FROM FOOD, TO CROCKERY, TO MARQUEES AND FLOWERS IN A RELAXED AND PROFESSIONAL WAY. WE AIM TO PROVIDE ENERGETIC, ATTRACTIVE SERVICE COMBINED WITH DELICIOUS FOOD TO HELP ENSURE YOU ENJOY YOUR PARTY FROM BEGINNING TO END WITH NOT A WORRY IN THE WORLD.

22 THE SWAN CENTRE ROSEMARY ROAD LONDON SW17 0ARWWW.CHILLIBEESCATERING.CO.UK020 8946 3311 CHILLI BEES_FEB.indd 1

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ABSOLU TELY

FOOD & TRAVEL

PUB OF THE MONTH

RISE 46 BATTERSEA

RESTAURANT REVIEW

LAYLA

I

Georgie Lane-Godfrey gets an eyeful (and a stomach full) at Wimbledon Village’s Layla restaurant

think I’ve found the perfect way to review a Lebanese restaurant: take your highly traditional, highly reserved father along with you. You see, the restaurant in question is Layla, one of the latest additions to Wimbledon Village’s dining scene and, come the weekend, home to some hip-swaying, booty-shaking, truly mind-boggling belly-dancing.

It’s not something my father relishes.

Once on a family holiday, a belly dancer went so far as to actually sit on his lap, bestowing upon him a strange hybrid lap-cum-belly-dance performance – he’s been scarred ever since.

So, having managed to persuade him in the interests of his daughter’s career to accompany me, we arrived at Layla on a Saturday night. Aesthetically, it’s beautiful: tassled glass domes form a unique chandelier, Arabic latticed booths provide intimate tables for groups and the plush sunken red sofas and eastern soft furnishings make the bar feel exotic and inviting.

It could be so naff, but it’s not.

Instead it’s smart and sophisticated.

It’s also packed. This is obviously the night to come – the restaurant is lively and loud, full to the brim with groups celebrating special occasions and intertwined couples locked in conversation.

To start we shared some hummus – served with soft, floury, fluff y pittas – and some vine leaves stuffed with rice, herbs and spices. The vine leaves were a little too oily for me, but tasty nonetheless. The hummus, however, was excellent – thick, smooth and with a tangy citrus kick.

Opt for a lamb dish for main. The quality of the meat served here is excellent and it arrives pink, juicy and tender. It’s also accompanied by a sweet, minty yoghurt, which acts as a compulsively creamy sauce to slather over the lamb, complementing the meat’s savoury succulence. Deserts are the usual baklava and ice creams, but there’s also strawberries on offer, served with melted chocolate to dip them in – perfect date night fare.

And of course there’s the live entertainment. The belly dancer was, in fact, very good. She shimmied and she swayed, but then she left us alone to enjoy our dinner in peace – a short but sweet taster of her talents, if you will. There’s also a woman seductively crooning at the bar in between performances who only added to the romance of the restaurant. Because it is romantic, that’s for sure. And thus a good option for Valentine’s Day then…

LOOK Crushed velvet banquettes, gold gilt tables, vintage lamps and sparkly pillows – Battersea’s take on a 1920’s speakeasy, to be precise.

VIBE Regular live music sets the scene for a classy, cocktail-clad night. Check the calendar online for details of future acts ranging from sultry jazz (great for dates) to DJ sets (for night’s out with friends).

There are mid-week comedy nights, too.

DRINK Cocktails here are divided into five categories: Prohibition, 1920’s, Sweet Shop, Retro and Skinny. Those looking for an authentic twenties experience will love the classic Mint Juleps here, whilst those watching their waistlines will be impressed by the 130 kcal Blueberry Caipirinhas. We love the Tea Tray sharers – a collection of fragrant tea-infused concoctions including the delectable T Total made with Absolut Wild Tea, muddled strawberries, fresh lemon, agave nectar and apple juice.

VERDICT Dig out your pinstripes and dust off your flapper dresses, this bar really is the roaring twenties made manifest. The perfect venue for an original Valentine’s Day date, make sure you check it out.

FIND IT Rise 46, 46 Battersea Rise, SW11, 020 7228 7676; rise46.com

33 High St, Wimbledon, SW19, 020 89447696; laylarestaurant.co.uk

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A PASSAGE TO

INDIA AS HARRISON’S OF BALHAM HOSTS A SIGNING FOR HIS NEW BOOK ON INDIA, RICK STEIN TALKS CURRY AND EATING LIKE A LOCAL TO SIMON MOORE...

W

hen the weather is cold, you find yourself craving a lunch which will put a bit of fire in your belly. Having gone searching this past year for the finest and the spiciest India has to offer, Rick Stein is just the man to provide that lunch.

He’s toured the world in his quest for the perfect dish, and the tireless work he puts into his four Padstow restaurants has arguably made the little Cornish village a foodie heaven, championing local fish and seafood for miles around.

But it’s Stein’s Indian side we’re hoping to coax out today. The menu at Balham brasserie Harrison’s is happy to oblige, glowing with the warmth of the East. Small wonder, as owner Sam Harrison and Rick Stein go way back: ‘[Sam] was my general manager down in Padstow for quite a few years, and he left to set up his own business.

I was very keen to take some part in it, because I’d always admired his dedication. On the menus at the moment there’s quite a few of my dishes, particularly the Indians. And of course, today’s lunch is all from my new book.’

‘Spiced lentil and squash soup, chicken vindail - it pushes this curry fan’s buttons, that’s for sure.’

And what a lunch! Spiced lentil and squash soup, chicken vindail – it pushes this curry fan’s buttons, that’s for sure.

But just how much of a curry fan is Rick Stein? Has he, say, eaten curry for breakfast, taking his stomach where few Brits dare go?

‘I really lost interest in English food,’ he reveals. ‘Where we were filming, we stayed in quite westernised hotels, but I never touched any of the western food. I’ve found there is a certain sort of tenderness in your tummy. It’s not exactly Delhi Belly, it’s just eating a lot of chilli. But after a while it fades and your stomach gets used to it. I largely like eating hot curries for breakfast. People find that extraordinary, but I don’t.

‘For example, I wrote a recipe in the book for my Breakfast Bhaji. It’s

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FOOD & TRAVEL

‘I largely like eating hot curries for breakfast. People find that extraordinary, but I don’t...’ not like the deep-fried fritter – it’s basically just a vegetable curry. I always used to have it in India with a fried egg. The Indians would never have a fried egg, but I like it!’

This appetite for hybrid dishes is typical of him, and certainly one of the best things about Rick Stein’s food. Whenever he speaks, he reveals an incredible appetite for cuisine and culture – those rich, heady ingredients of worldly experience. The next question I ask is a tough one for him: if he had to pin himself down to one culture, one place in the entire world where he could eat like a local for the rest of his days, where would that be?

‘I’d probably go to the Languedoc, or the coast of France, around Narbonne. It’s really about the markets. It’s the climate, the markets and the availability of good fish particularly. I just love to spend some time in France, cooking. Similarly parts of Italy – again, the local markets are unbeatable.

And I say France or Italy because as much as I love Indian, Vietnamese, Thai cooking etc., my upbringing is British, French and Italian food. But I could well spend a long time in somewhere like Rajasthan. I do love that particular part of India, the open country.’

Well, we didn’t pin him down to one place, but that’s Rick Stein for you. No one place could contain this passion for new sights, new tastes, new ways of thinking about food. So, where next for the wandering chef?

‘India was a big high for us, but you can’t go out and do another programme of that sort of intensity.

So we’re going to be a bit more thoughtful in how we’re going to film Byzantium – Greece, Turkey, the Baltic, maybe take in a bit of Northern Italy as well.

We’re also looking at literature – the connection to poets like Byron and various travel writers who have gone over there. And of course we’ll be talking about Ancient Greek literature and the whole culture of Byzantium. It’s a bit of a mix of food and culture.’

We’d expect no less from Rick Stein’s brand of travelogue. You can picture him now, making his way across the bright waters of the Baltic, over mountains and valleys, uncovering the hidden pleasures, the simple pleasures, the mouth-watering pleasures of the sun-kissed Mediterranean.

Somehow, we’ve gotten used to seeing these places in a certain way. Perhaps Rick Stein is just the man to change our minds. And where our minds go, you can be certain our stomachs will follow.

Harrison’s, 15-19 Bedford Hill, SW12, 020 8675 6900; harrisonsbalham.co.uk

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lounge bar Hemingways Lounge Bar The best night of the week every night of the week and the latest licence in the village

Tuesdays

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Wednesdays Open Mic

for fun with friends and live music

Thursdays Ladies Night Champagne only £30 bottle!

Why not stay for supper? Try our delicious pizzas, delicious freshly baked pizzas made the premises and unique to Hemingways or simply nibble on some nachos!

And don’t forget lunch...

we are open from 12 midday to 1am!

Cocktails ~ Pizzas ~ Nachos ~ Tapas ~ Sharing Platters and Cocktails ~ Hampers ~ Parties

57 High St, Wimbledon Village, SW19 5EE - 020 8944 7722 - www.hemingwaysbar.co.uk

HEMMINGWAYS.indd 1

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•ADVERTS.indd 6

08/01/2014 14:59

08/01/2014 17:20

ABSOLU TELY

FOOD & TRAVEL

RECIPE

MADRAS FISH CURRY OF SNAPPER, TOMATO & TAMARIND

I

YOU WILL NEED  60ml vegetable oil  1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds  1 large onion, finely chopped  15g/3 cloves garlic, finely crushed  30 fresh curry leaves  2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder  2 tsp ground coriander  2 tsp turmeric  400g can chopped tomatoes  100ml Tamarind liquid  2 green chillies, each sliced lengthways into 6 pieces, with seeds  1 tsp salt  700g snapper fillets, cut into 5cm chunks

ANNA MCCARTHY

SERVES 4 ~ 6 n the past I have written at some length about finding this curry, which I think of as my favourite.

Here, I’ve used the same fish it was cooked with when I first tried it – snapper – but in the UK I recommend using any of the following: monkfish fillet, because you get firm slices of white, meaty fish; filleted bass, preferably a large fish. Although you’ll get softer flesh it has plenty of flavour. I think more than anything else that this dish typifies what I always say about really fresh fish not being ruined by a spicy curry. I can still remember the slightly oily flavour of the exquisite snapper when I first tried this dish because fish oil, when it’s perfectly fresh, is very nice to eat.

I always think oily fish goes well with curry anyway, particularly with the flavours of tomatoes, tamarind and curry leaves.

TO SERVE: BOILED BASMATI RICE

H

Taken from Rick Stein’s ‘India’, published by BBC Books. Photography: James Murphy

eat the oil in a heavybased saucepan or karahi over a medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and fry for 30 seconds, then stir in the onion and garlic and fry gently for about 10 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add the curry leaves, chilli powder, coriander and turmeric and fry for 2 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes, tamarind liquid, green chillies and salt and simmer for about 10 minutes until rich and reduced. Add the fish, cook for a further 5 minutes or until just cooked through, and serve with plain rice.

‘I always think oily fish goes well with curry, particularly with flavours of tomatoes...’

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05/12/2013 19/12/2013 10:35 16:59

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ABSOLU TELY

FOOD & TRAVEL THE SPA

Perched on the banks of the serene lake waters, The Jetty Spa is an award-winning modern architectural masterpiece. Twin massage beds look out across the lake, allowing for couple treatments.

For the most decadent, try the Jetty Spa Trail – 5 hours of pure indulgence, starting with a bespoke aromatherapy blend consultation, a dip in the pool, a sauna and body scrub, a blissful massage, afternoon tea in the cosy little boathouse and a spell in the hot tub with a glass of champagne. Book to start in the late afternoon – nothing beats a hot tub under the stars.

GILPIN LAKE HOUSE LAKE DISTRICT

THE ROOMS

All rooms at the Lake House are suites and, with just six on offer, stays here are not only exceptionally exclusive but totally private too. All with quintessentially British names, high-end cosiness is the order of the day and bathrooms are stocked with home made Jetty Spa products. If you can, stay in Harriet, the most decadent room with lake views.

THE HOTEL

Just two miles from Lake Windermere, the family-run Gilpin Lake House is a perfect base for exploring the Lake District. Surrounded by varied trails, taking in charmingly traditional pubs (many with their own microbreweries), it is a wonderful destination for walkers, not least because they’ll have the roaring sitting room fire to look forward to, after an afternoon, exploring.

Personal touches here make the difference – staff will find you wellies, lend you maps and recommend routes so that you make the most of your stay.

THE RESTAURANT After a private transfer up to the main hotel, you can look forward to some seriously fine dining for dinner. Having been awarded three rosettes by the AA Restaurant Guide, Head Chef Dan Grigg serves up local Lake District produce and West Coast seafood to create modern British masterpieces – think line-caught mackerel, sauced beets, apple compressions and horseradish bark.

£ T H E DA M AG E

From £485 per room, per night, including a five course dinner, full English breakfast and VAT, plus complimentary chauffeur to and from Gilpin Hotel for dinner. The ‘Jetty Spa Trail’ is exclusive to guests staying at Gilpin Lake House, £300 for two people. 01539 488 818; thegilpin.co.uk

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ABSOLUTELY PROMOTION

ISLAND IN THE

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ESCAPE TO THE IDYLLIC RESORT OF VALLE DELL’ERICA SARDINIA WITH A LUXURY FAMILY HOLIDAY FROM POWDER BYRNE

H

olidays are supposed to be a time of supreme relaxation and release but as any parent can tell you, this is often something of a challenge – which is where Powder Byrne comes in. Using extensive expertise, garnered from nearly three decades of providing personalised holidays, they are able to strike the perfect balance between quality family time and time alone together.

Knowing full well that children on holiday are almost inexhaustible, Powder Byrne has developed award-winning children’s programmes designed to entertain and broaden horizons that kids can dip in and out of as they please. For children aged 4 to 12, Scallywags and TheZone programmes offer a fabulous range of activities and adventures that take advantage of the best facilities and attractions available, all in a safe and fully supervised environment. Every interest and inclination is catered for with a diverse mix of sports, games,

action in the water, cookery, arts and crafts and local excursions.

Travelling with teens is a different story as many often feel they’ve outgrown kid’s clubs but still want to spend time with people their own age. Never fear – Powder Byrne has a solution for this too! PB Sports Academies offer the opportunity to learn new skills and sports in a controlled setting including windsurfing, sailing, SCUBA diving, tennis, football or surfing.

For those with very small children, the pb crèche – full of experienced and trained staff, catering for children from 4 months to 3 years – will keep the tots thrilled with shell collecting trips to the beach, paddling in the pool and making treasures to bring back to their parents at the end of the day.

The only thing left to complete the picture is the perfect backdrop, and luckily Powder Byrne has just the place. Valle dell’Erica in Sardinia has everything required for authentic five-star Mediterranean luxury.

Set on the fringes of a national park and designed in complete harmony with its surroundings, it provides an oasis ideally suited to

‘Every interest and inclination is catered for with a diverse mix of sports, games, cookery, arts and crafts’

Powder Byrne’s extensive range of kid’s programmes. With a resort team ready to transport guests anywhere they wish, visitors can visit the cosmopolitan port towns of the Costa Smeralda, charter a yacht to explore the stunning coastline or try out the water sports at the nearby beach of Porto Pollo.

Those looking for a spot of pampering can indulge in a treatment at the Thalasso Spa or even just enjoy a relaxing lie on the beach in one of the resort’s tiny coves nearby. Foodies searching for gourmet goodies need look no further than Valle Dell’Erica to try out some of the region’s famous cuisine, from lavish buffets serving traditional Galluran dishes to more intimate fish barbecues on the beach.

In all, Powder Byrne offers an experience to broaden horizons and revitalise guests in an environment designed to cater for the needs and desires of every member of the family. The only downside? You may never want to leave…

Stay at Valle dell’Erica in Sardinia this summer. Price from £1,599 per adult for 7 nights from 19th July on half board basis. Price includes exclusive offer of 7 nights for the price of 6, if booked before 28th February, return private transfers and full Powder Byrne service in resort. Flights quoted for separately. Call Powder Byrne for more information on 020 8246 5300 or visit powderbyrne.com

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THE

BEAUTY SPOT

BUMS & BEACHES, BUNS & BOND, EDWINA LANGLEY FINDS IT ALL IN BRAZIL 66

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f you Google the word ‘Brazilian’, this is what the search engine suggests you might be looking for: ‘wax,’ ‘blow dry’, ‘butt lift’.

Apparently, when the world searches for Brazil, it’s beauty they’re after. That might seem a little contrived, but in the days leading up to my trip it was generally beautiful things I thought about – Astrud Gilberto’s ‘tall and tan and young and lovely’ girl from Ipanema, the colour explosion of Carnival, Gisele Bündchen…

The day before I touched down in Rio de Janeiro, British beauty Cara Delevigne had flown in for a Vogue Brazil shoot and as I pulled up outside my hotel, the notorious Copacabana Palace, I was told past guests included Madonna, Marilyn Monroe and Diana, Princess of Wales. Yes, Brazil plays host to the beautiful people, both past and present.

Copacabana Palace is indeed palatial and sits overlooking the bay of Copacabana Beach, a glistening white tooth in the curved smile of a beautiful Amazonian.

Built in 1923, the hotel is a landmark in its own right and in 2011 underwent a $20million refurbishment, which saw the lobby extend by 90%, its 145 rooms redesigned and the introduction of two new boutiques. In spite of its facelift, however, there is something very traditional

‘If I were you, I’d spend most of my time swimming in the bay or canoeing (rather, capsizing) around the mini island’

about the place. The rooms are elegant and understated – ornate bathrooms in muted colours and a small sitting room overlooking the Atlantic. To swim in the outside pool at night as Fly Me To The Moon floats along on the breeze and waiters plump sun bed cushions nearby, is to feel you’ve been transported back to the 1950s.

Cocktail hour will commence after you’ve beehived your hair, the feijoada (stewed beef with beans) will be served up piping hot, the pão de queijo (cheese flavoured buns) will be fresh from the oven, and everything will, of course, look beautiful.

What’s also beautiful is the view from the top of Corcovado Mountain by the foot of Christ the Redeemer. The 98ft reinforced concrete and soapstone statue stands with arms outstretched, guarding the swell of Rio below. Mighty in size, you can’t help but feel humbled by it, not least since the winds there are so strong you get treated to a rather different type of Brazilian blow dry – whether you’re after one or not.

The view backwards, from Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf) mountain overlooking the city, with Christ as the backdrop, is no less beautiful, nor dramatic, plus you have the added thrill of imagining yourself in a real drama. The 1979 Bond flick Moonraker was filmed there, most famously the hairraising 007 v. Jaws battle for the cable car.

For those visiting Rio for the World Cup (this June) or the 2016 Olympics, there are

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FOOD & TRAVEL ‘Apparently, when the world searches for Brazil, it’s beauty they’re after’ many more beautiful things to gawp at. The Santa Teresa District comprises cobbled winding streets with higgledy-piggledy houses dressed in murals, whilst the tiled steps of Escadaria Selaron, designed by Chilean artist, Jorge Selarón, mirrors the bohemian feel the area exudes. But for boho meets music, there’s only one place to go: Rio Scenarium Restaurant and Nightclub in Lapa. If it’s décor were to have a theme it would be ‘film set vintage’. Old televisions, telephones and artwork hang from the walls, its windows are guarded by 1950s-style shutters, fans whirr from the ceiling and people chatter quietly eating dinner downstairs, until…the music starts.

At around midnight the building erupts, live bands play, bums wiggle and hips sway as the rhythm takes over and you lose yourself entirely in the fiesta.

And if Rio is the place to lose yourself, then Ponta dos Ganchos is most definitely the place to find yourself again. Just a twohour flight from Rio to Florianopolis and a 50-minute drive from there, you’ll find you’ve arrived at heaven. Literal heaven.

Somewhere so beautiful that only the most beautiful people would visit. Like, Beyoncé and Jay Z, for example.

This privately owned peninsula lies peacefully near the waters of the Emerald Coast. Discrete but luxurious bungalows (just 25 in total) sit hidden in sunspots on the hillside. Designed strictly for adults, this resort is a no children zone, which means everything really is as peaceful as

you’d hoped it would be. With a modest but perfectly usable fitness centre and a heated swimming pool, you can work off any Rio-induced stress with vigour. But you don’t really want to stay indoors because Ponta dos Ganchos is all about the outside.

Whilst each bungalow boasts an open fire, double showers, double lavatories, double wardrobes (no arguments allowed), a sauna, a Jacuzzi and a massive telly, they also feature an outdoor hammock overlooking the coast, an infinity-edged plunge pool and an open-air shower. I mean, what more could a human want?

Away from bungalow haven, there are nature trails to be had (as an avid walker I would say they are more ‘strolls’ than ‘treks’), which lead you to castaway white sanded beaches. If I were you though, I’d spend most of my time swimming in the bay or canoeing (rather, capsizing) around the mini-island. And after all that exercise, there is a sweet little restaurant on site to stock up on those lost calories, serving up my favourite type of food: octopus. I must have had it about three times in a row. But don’t worry, they do make other things too – notably, the most delicious and freshly baked bread. Whilst that’s not ideal if you’re hoping to acquire a perfect beach bod, it is simply too good not to scoff.

So no, it’s no surprise I didn’t come back from Brazil with a more beautiful body.

What I did come back with, at least, was a tan, a plastic gold necklace of Christ the Redeemer, and a newfound love for shaking my posterior. Perhaps that’s what Google meant by ‘Brazilian butt lift’.

COPACABANA PALACE From £485 per room, per night, including taxes based on two sharing a Superior City View Room with breakfast. Call OrientExpress Hotels Ltd UK reservations on 0845 077 2222; copacabanapalace.com

PONTA DOS GANCHOS From BRL 1410 (approx. £364) per bungalow per night based on two sharing, +55 48 39537000; pontadosganchos.com

TAM Return flights to Florianópolis via São Paulo from London Heathrow with TAM Airlines start from £864 per person and depart daily. TAM Airlines is part of LATAM Airlines Group and flies to over 50 destinations across South America. For three or more flights within Brazil and across South America, get up to 60% off with LATAM Airlines Group’s South American Airpass; tam.com.br

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BAKU to the future

EDWINA LANGLEY HEADS EAST FOR ARCHITECTURE, ART AND AZERBAIJANI COW'S TONGUE IN A VERY MODERN MUSLIM CITY 70

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FOOD & TRAVEL The new and modern structures of the city, like architect Zaha Hadid’s new project, the Heydar Aliyev Centre (2012), are in this vein, astounding, often dominating the skyline. The Heydar Aliyev Centre in particular is a difficult building to describe, it looks rather alien in its current location – by the busy main road that leads out of the city.

It’s a conceptual, spaceshipesque structure, which to me, looked like something from the future: ‘in the year 2100, buildings will look like this…’.

The curves and fluidness of design make it a shapely madam – extraordinary. Huge.

Magnificent.

Named after Heydar Aliyev (leader of Soviet Azerbaijan from 1969-82), the centre was built for culture and contains a conference hall, a gallery hall and a museum. It was only

‘Where is Baku?’

‘Azerbaijan.’

‘Where’s that?’

T

his is the conversation I had with pretty much everyone prior to my visit to the Eastern capital. I’d vary my response depending on who I was talking to. To my friends it was: ‘bang next to Georgia, overlooking the Caspian.’ To my mother: ‘on the cusp of Europe, Mumsie. Just bordering Iran!’ Either way it sounded exciting and exotic, exactly the sort of place for an intrepid traveller.

When I arrived in Baku it was 4am, so as I drove through nigh on deserted streets to the Fairmont 'Flame Towers' hotel, my first impressions of the city were limited. One thing, however, did stand out. The place was immaculate.

Pavements were spotless and almost gleamed under the glow of lights from passing cars. It was eerily clean. When I woke up to daylight, however, it all made sense. For the view over the city from Baku Turkish Martys’ Memorial said it all: it’s just too beautiful to be dirty.

Aesthetics are foremost in Baku and its architecture is some of the most interesting I’ve seen. A lot of it is new-build, but it doesn’t look ‘neuvo’. Much was built in the early 20th century, instigated by Azerbaijan’s ruling power, Russia, taking inspiration heavily from Europe. The Azerbaijani State Philharmonic Hall (1912) for instance, was built in the style of the Italian Renaissance, whist the Baku Puppet Theatre (1910) owes its design to that of the French. Fountains are abundant and wide streets puts one in mind of Parisian boulevards. Not for nothing is Baku known as the ‘Paris of the East’.

Having said this, the Soviet influence is obvious. Part of the Soviet Union from 1920 until its collapse in 1991, Baku’s cityscape nods to that era of monumental and structural domination.

‘Heydar Aliyev Centre is a conceptual, spaceship-esque structure, which looked like something from the future’

fitting therefore, that I got to see some of Azerbaijani’s culture in play whilst I was there, in the form of a gala concert. This musical spectacle took place in the auditorium and incorporated energetic folk dance (men ‘en pointe’ – shockingly without pointe shoes), a desperately fiddly instrument plucked dextrously and a duo of haunting solos.

Turkish dancers meet leaping Cossacks, if you need a visual.

In addition to its musical heritage, from carpets to history, Baku houses many museums and galleries. I’m not usually a fan of modern art, but I highly rated ‘Zavod’, presented by contemporary arts space organisation, YARAT. Zavod is a new project designed to exploit unconventional art spaces. The

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ABSOLU TELY

FOOD & TRAVEL Baku Air Conditioning Plant was where I visited – a factory that, one day, was closed and left untouched for over a decade. This was until YARAT ‘re-discovered’ it and invited 29 young artists to find inspiration there for a new exhibition they had planned.

The idea is to be able to walk around the plant and come across installations that seem part of the factory’s DNA. I am not an art buff, but Zavod blew me away. One installation, for example, was simply a line of clocks, which had been collected from around the factory and had longsince ceased to tick. What was happening when they stopped, the installation asked, and why? Another exhibit was a video of a beach, with an ebbing and flowing tide, projected onto a factory wall. It depicted the sort of conditions the air-cooling plant was designed to create. To write it down makes it sound basic; you’d have to visit to appreciate the full genius of it.

All of this modernity sits alongside

Baku’s captivating Islamic architecture; Shia Islam is, after all, Azerbaijan’s majority religion. Walking through the cobbled streets of the ancient Old City, past the 12th century Maiden Tower, you could be in Marrakech. Stray cats creep cautiously across slim alleyways, whilst washing hangs on lines from balconies above. Mosques stand discreetly near dusty carpets for sale, and Aladdin surely lurks in the shadows. This is the magical walled

‘ I wasn’t all that enamoured with Azerbaijani cuisine...the cow tongue I tried was disgusting’

HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER

Designed by Zaha Hadid, it first opened in May 2012 and celebrated its gala opening in November 2013. The centre will host art exhibitions, symposia, expositions and other events to promote Azerbaijani art and culture.

city that was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003 – fitting protection for this ‘undiscovered’ architectural jewellery box.

I was increasingly coming to believe that Baku was indeed, as it has been celebrated, an ‘Islamic Culture Capital’, but its nightlife had yet to be tested. Rated eighth in Lonely Planet’s top 10 party cities of the world, I can tell you now, Baku deserves its accolade. Pacifico, for example, is one of the most popular nightclubs and lies on Seaside Boulevard. With a ‘Boujis-esque’ feel it has a terrace outside which is ideal for late night tête-à-têtes if the club itself gets a bit steamy – or smoky; Baku appears to be the last place on earth where smoking is allowed indoors. The dancing’s wild and the drinks flow freely, most unusual for an Islamic country.

So, when you wake to the inevitable (and deserved) hangover, what do you eat? If I am to be truly honest, I wasn’t all that enamoured with Azerbaijani cuisine.

Thankfully, though, it varies a bit. The cow tongue I tried one night was disgusting. The Beluga caviar however, was not. A typical ‘starter’ is a spread consisting of all sorts of cheeses, salamis, olives, nuts and breads – with an aubergine dip that made its way everywhere. One lunch I was presented with ‘Bolva’, a traditional type of soup.

It was tepid, and came in a tall glass, which allowed me to dubiously eye its off-white colour and some green bits floating around inside. A massive gulp later and it almost came back up again – apparently along with dill and hardboiled eggs’, one of its main components is sour milk.

After the starter, slivers of smoked salmon appear and then some sort of meat – like mutton or lamb, barbecued or stewed. For pudding, its fruit and baklava. Nothing you can buy in this country even remotely compares.

I am still reeling from my visit to Baku. I can’t quite get my head around it. What I can get my head around though, is how safe I felt. It wasn’t that I expected to feel ‘unsafe’, but with unfamiliar lands it is something I think about. The genuine warmth of the Azerbaijani people undoubtedly made the trip. For whilst many do not speak English, with a right amount of hand gesturing and enthusiasm, you get there in end. And so I’m glad I made it to Baku. Wherever it is.

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HOME FROM HOME ALEXANDRA JONES REALLY DISLIKES TRAVELLING. SO WHAT WAS IT ABOUT BERMUDA THAT MADE HER NEVER WANT TO LEAVE?

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ery rarely do I get the sense that I’d rather not leave a place. I will forever be that ghastly thing that no person with even vague pretensions towards adventure would want to be called – a homebody. For me, home is heavenly. My one, rather doomed, foray into backpacking, for example, ended with me on an early plane back, sick to the stomach (literally and metaphorically) of South America and strange beds and my own stilted Spanish.

What, then, to make of Bermuda? On the last day, having spent an afternoon in the sun, hopping from one heart-breakingly beautiful beach to another, I experienced something like an epiphany: a brilliant, completely mad idea that maybe I should just stay. A month – or maybe six would be about enough.

I turned to our taxi-driver-cum-tourguide (many taxi drivers in Bermuda are also experienced tour guides and can offer tips and potted histories of the island as they ferry you around): ‘You know Larry, maybe I should stay for a while.’

He nodded a little, ‘I guess you enjoyed the Rum Swizzles, then.’

At Sharky’s Bar, a shanty sort of set-up, built around a split in the cliff, facing out onto a crystalline bay you could get any drink you wanted as long as it was rum.

On that last afternoon, Sharky had played ‘Smooth Operator’ by Sade and expounded on the glories of the island. I think the spirit of Mark Twain, who first visited Bermuda in 1867, was hovering around whispering in my ear about how I could go to heaven, but that he was staying in Bermuda. And I thought to myself, you’ve got it right there Mark; clouds and divinity paled in comparison to pink sanded beaches and deadly cocktails.

The question is this: was it, as Larry had wryly surmised, the rum talking? After all, I did get on the plane. But in London far from feeling that familiar relief (a gentle sigh like a cork unstopping, ‘ah, home’), I was still wrangling with the crazy thought that maybe I should have stayed.

So, what to chalk this up to?

Settled in the 17th century by a shipwrecked Admiral George Somers and his 150 or so crew, the uninhabited island

‘‘You know Larry, maybe I should stay for a while.’’ ‘‘ I guess you enjoyed the Rum Swizzles, then.’’

had been overlooked for over a century by Spanish sailors, who had used it as a stopgap on journeys to the new world, but never claimed it.

Thought to be the inspiration for Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Bermuda has had a reputation as a paradise for over 400 years.

And its natural charms are unquestionable; the beaches around the island are some of the best in the world with achingly lovely blue-green waters and excellent marine life for snorkelling or diving.

A subtropical climate means that temperatures are mild to hot and that more often than not, it is gloriously sunny. The island proper (all 21 miles by one mile of it) abounds in lush green vegetation and fresh, wild-growing fruits. It is, quite simply, a beautiful place.

Divided into ‘parishes’, houses are often painted in candy-sweet pastels and the church is still considered the heart of the community.

The town of St. George’s, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is largely unchanged since it was founded and built in the late 17th Century and offers a picturesque glimpse into life on the island way back when.

For me, it was enough to walk around and absorb the history, but for those who are looking for more of a story, St. Peter’s Chapel, the oldest Anglican Church outside of the British Isles, is largely unaltered since its completion in 1612.

Meanwhile the Royal Naval

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FOOD & TRAVEL Dockyard, though geared towards masstourism, is a fascinating hub of shops (be sure to get some cake from the Bermuda Rum Cake Company), museums (the National Museum of Bermuda is housed in the sprawling fortress) and even a Dolphin Quest, where you can swim with the winsome creatures.

For their part, the islanders take the paradisiacal reputation seriously. This means two things: firstly, service in hotels, bars and restaurants is in the American mode – quick, quiet, eff usive – while locals are almost unfailingly helpful and friendly. Secondly, it means that Bermuda is extremely safe. As Larry put it, ‘in the Caribbean you’re told to stay inside your resorts, in Bermuda the whole island is your resort.’

Be that as it may, as befitting a paradise, the hotels cater to a luxury market and can be hard to leave. I stayed in the Fairmont Southampton, a sweeping coralpink building, set atop a hill on the south side of the island. Classically furnished throughout, with grand staircases and dark wooden beams it has a solid, American Deep South charm. I would recommend that you go for a Fairmont Gold stay. Each ‘Gold’ floor has a lounge where breakfast is served in the mornings and where an almost constant flow of canapés, cream teas and cocktails will have you wondering whether to even bother with dinner.

‘ If I ate nothing other than the Reef & Beef steak topped with Guinea chick – for the rest of my life, I would be perfectly content.’

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Not bothering, though, would be a mistake.

The food in Bermuda is often a delight. From the very top end – the Blu Bar & Grill in Warwick Parish is a cool and plush with heavy white tablecloths and comprehensive sushi selection to the unpretentious local favourite with a killer Bermuda Fish Chowder – the Swizzle Inn at Baileys Bay, you’d be hard pressed not to find some really wonderful seafood. My particular favourite was Mad Hatters in Hamilton, where the list of specials was longer than the menu and took our waiter 10 minutes to reel off. If I ate nothing other than the Reef and Beef - steak topped with Guinea chick, a type of Bermudian lobster – for the rest of my life, I would be perfectly content. And I’m not even a big fan of red meat.

Just like I’m not a big fan of travelling.

Perhaps Bermuda, then, is a haven for us homebodies. It is suff used with a particular charm: no nasty surprises, no dodgy characters.

There is history: beautiful, engaging, protected pockets of history that spark the imagination.

There is food: traditional or nouveau, whatever your tastes, it’s all well cooked and wellpresented. There are trails to explore: the disused railway forms an 18 mile circuit of Bermuda that will have you rounding corner after corner of dazzling island vistas. It can be walked, cycled or taken on horseback. And there is the knowledge that you won’t feel at all guilty if all you want to do is lay on the beach and drink some rum and listen to Sade.

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Preparatory School for girls aged four to eleven

The Good Schools Guide

• A leading South West London Prep School on the borders of Wimbledon Common • A happy, supportive community where all girls flourish • Scholarships and places at top senior schools at 11+ • Excellent opportunities and achievement in music, sport and the performing and creative arts • Wonderful new reception classrooms and impressive off-site sports facility

Registered Charity No.271012

We offer an assisted places scheme for girls aged 7+

“One school, two buildings, great teaching and tip top facilities.”

For further details please call Jane Davis on 020 8947 6969 STUDY SCHOOL.indd 1

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ABSOLU TELY

EDUCATION

PAY YOUR WAY

WHY FUSS WITH STRUGGLING TO GET YOUR CHILD INTO AN OVERSUBSCRIBED SCHOOL WHEN YOU CAN PAY SOMEONE TO DO IT FOR YOU? AMANDA CONSTANCE INVESTIGATES THE DARK ARTS OF THE SCHOOL PLACEMENT SERVICE

o you’ve got deep pockets and sharp elbows but are they enough to get your child into the school you want? In the now hyper-competitive world of our most elite independent schools, the answer, probably, is no.

In the race for a place, high-octane parents are using a Schools Placement Service. For a sizeable fee, super-tutor agencies such as Holland Park Education and Bonas MacFarlane will not only identify the appropriate school for your child, they will assess and tutor the child for the examination and interview process, fill in any applications, provide personal references to the chosen schools and even arrange private visits to them. It is hand-

ILLUSTRATION BY PHIL COUZENS

S

holding of the highest order, with both agencies boasting they will look after your loved one’s every educational need ‘from cradle to career’.

And it doesn’t come cheap. Holland Park Education charges £5,000 for the service.

But as William Stadlen, the Savile Rowsuited founder and managing director of HPE attests, this is ‘investment insurance’.

Many of HPE’s clients will be spending ‘500K per child over 10 years’, and ‘we get that investment right for a fraction of the cost’.

Holland Park Education’s clients are mostly bankers and the global super-rich.

And they start early. Stadlen admits to meeting ‘a bizarre amount of pregnant women’. He recounts having to reassure the mildly hysterical parents of an 18 month-old

girl that it was not ‘too late to get her into Cambridge’. Holland Park Education doesn’t carry out assessments on children under the age of five, but it does have an early years consultant who can place your baby in the nursery of your dreams, part one of a ‘road map’, an educational strategy designed for your child that should see the apple of your eye waltzing into Oxbridge 15 years later.

The process starts with an initial consultation with Stadlen where he ascertains the family’s situation and what ambitions they have for their children.

There follows an assessment; a quantitative analysis using a sophisticated computer program, and a qualitative assessment with one of HPE’s specialist consultants who have more than 1,000 hours of preparing children for exams under their belt.

HPE create a longlist and then whittles this down to a shortlist of the most suitable schools based upon the family’s specific wishes, the child’s academic potential and extra-curricular concerns such as music or sport etc. The assessments will also highlight any areas where your child might need extra help to achieve the sky-high academic standard these schools require. If so, the agency has a battery of young Oxbridgey tutors who can make sure your child is ready for their entrance exams at 7+ or 11 or 13+.

Once a shortlist of schools has been decided, HPE will send on the assessor’s reports plus the agency’s own reference to the chosen schools. And this is really what you are paying for. Stadlen has spent the last decade or more building relationships with the registrars and heads in all of the best schools. His recommendation opens doors.

As he explains: ‘There is currency to our word because we have successfully placed children before.’ The schools want the best pupils and know that HPE can deliver them.

As Stadlen wryly adds, when it comes to the quid pro quo relationships between schools and agencies, ‘we’re not ahead of the curve, I think we created the curve.’

HPE refute the notion that ‘there is one perfect school – this often only serves to increase the pressure on a child,’ says Stadlen. But how do you tell a Russian oligarch that his Evgeny isn’t a suitable candidate for Harrow? ‘It’s all about expectation management,’ says Stadlen smoothly. ‘In the cases where a family have their heart set on a couple of schools, then our close relationships with these schools means we may be able to open certain doors. If we want to get a child into Eton or St Paul’s, then we get that child into Eton or St Paul’s.’ Sounds like good value for money. hollandparkeducation.com, bonasmacfarlane.co.uk

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Smart explores the local area.

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FEBRUARY 2014

ABSOLUTELY

PROPERTY

ORVILLE ROAD, SW11 Situated moments away from Battersea Square, this substantial four bedroom house has been meticulously designed and beautifully decorated throughout and provides the most wonderful balance of both contemporary living and entertaining space.

Guide Price £1,999,950 John D Wood & Co., Battersea 020 7228 0174  johndwood.co.uk

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SOUTHSIDE QUARTER, SW11 Forming part of a gated Victorian School conversion, this split-level loft style apartment has the most wonderful feeling of light and space throughout. Approx. 1,845 sq ft. Energy Rating: E. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms.

Leasehold Guide Price £1,800,000

KNOWSLEY ROAD, SW11 This charming end-of-terrace Victorian house is extremely well proportioned and has been cleverly designed to make the maximum use of space. Approx. 1,404 sq ft. Energy Rating: D. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, south facing garden.

Freehold Guide Price £1,000,000

BATTERSEA 020 7293 0348 battersea@johndwood.co.uk

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NICOSIA ROAD, SW18 An immaculately presented red brick semi-detached house set in the desirable ‘Toast Rack’. With wonderful proportions throughout, providing a perfect balance of accommodation and a good sized garden. The house blends period features with modern additions including a full width rear extension.

Approx. 2,986 sq ft. Energy Rating: E. 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, double reception, kitchen/family room, cellar, garden, off-street parking.

Freehold

Guide Price £2,850,000

WANDSWORTH 020 8871 3033 wandsworth@johndwood.co.uk

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PILSDON CLOSE, SW19 An impressive modern house located within a well maintained private cul-de-sac. Approx. 1,340 sq ft.

Energy Rating: C. Master suite, 3 bedrooms, bathroom, open-plan reception, garden, allocated parking, no onward chain.

Freehold Guide Price ÂŁ825,000

INNER PARK ROAD, SW19 An exceptional apartment presented to a high standard throughout. Approx. 744 sq ft. Energy Rating: B. 2 bedrooms, en suite shower, family bathroom, open-plan living/dining room, underground parking, terrace, communal gardens.

Freehold Share Guide Price ÂŁ495,000

SOUTHFIELDS 020 8870 8811 southfields@johndwood.co.uk

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KENILFORD ROAD, SW12 A contemporary double fronted property conveniently located for ease of access to both Balham and Clapham South, beautifully refurbished to an exacting standard. Approx. 1,948 sq ft. Energy Rating: D. 4 bedrooms, 4 bath/shower rooms (3 en suite), open-plan kitchen/dining/reception room, utility room.

Freehold Guide Price £1,395,000

NORBURY HILL, SW16 A truly superb semi-detached house with striking views towards and over North London, fully extended creating an extremely well laid out home. Approx. 2,153 sq ft. Energy Rating: D. 4 bedrooms, 3 bath/shower rooms (2 en suite), reception, study, utility room, off-street parking.

Freehold Guide Price £700,000

CLAPHAM 020 8673 2854 clapham@johndwood.co.uk

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07/01/2014 06/01/2014 09:33 13:01

The Garden House

Price On Application Freehold

This incredible contemporary property has been designed by the present owners with exceptional attention to detail and an extremely high level finish throughout. The garden house is arranged over two levels, ground and lower ground floor and the layout has been arranged in order to give all of the principle rooms excellent natural light.

• Four double bedrooms • Kitchen/family room • Reception room • Family bathroom • Two shower rooms • Garden • Two sunken patios • Substantial built in storage

131 Nor thcote Road London SW11 6PS T:020 7228 5111 batterseasales@ramptonbaseley.com www.ramptonbaseley.com

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Wakehurst Road

£1,625,000 Freehold

This handsome mid terrace family house is well located on a popular residential street between the commons. The property has been extended into the side return on the ground floor and into the loft space on the top floor. Whilst the house still retains numerous period features, it is also beautifully presented throughout with a tasteful and neutral theme.

• Five bedrooms • Double reception room • Kitchen/breakfast room • Four bathrooms (two en suite) • Patio garden • Cellar

131 Nor thcote Road London SW11 6PS T:020 7228 5111 batterseasales@ramptonbaseley.com www.ramptonbaseley.com

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Altenburg Gardens £1,675,000 Freehold

Measuring circa 2,240 square feet, this superb modern house boasts light and spacious living accommodation arranged over three floors. The house was built with a Victorian style façade which is in keeping with the rest of the street. The property obviously benefits from the practicality that comes with newer properties.

• Four double bedrooms • Study/play room • Kitchen/family room • Ground floor w/c/ utility room • Master bath/shower room • Family bath/shower room • En suite shower room • Roof terrace • West facing garden

Ballingdon Road £1,750,000 Freehold This attractive five bedroom Victorian house is positioned on one of the most sought after residential streets between the commons.

The property has been extended on the ground floor into the side return, on the top floor into the loft space and is immaculately presented throughout.

• Five double bedrooms • Reception room • Kitchen • Family room • Ground floor w/c • Family bath/shower room • En suite bath/ shower room • En suite bathroom • Garden • Cellar

131 Nor thcote Road London SW11 6PS T:020 7228 5111 batterseasales@ramptonbaseley.com www.ramptonbaseley.com

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Eland Road £1,399,999 Freehold

Positioned on this particularly sought after residential street is this stunning four storey Victorian town house. The houses on this section of Eland Road are rare to come to the market and are highly regarded for their two levels of living space and excellent West-facing gardens.

• Three/four bedrooms • Double reception room • Kitchen/ Breakfast Room • Play room • Utility room • Study • Ground floor w/c • Family bathroom • En suite bathroom • Balcony • 59’7’’ West-facing garden • Cellar storage

Culmstock Road £1,550,000 Freehold Positioned on this sought after residential street between the commons is this superb five bedroom family house measuring just shy of 2,000 square feet. The house has been extended on the ground floor to the side and the rear of the original building.

• Five double bedrooms • Double reception room • Kitchen/breakfast room • Three bathrooms (one en suite) • South facing garden • Cellar • Eaves storage

131 Nor thcote Road London SW11 6PS T:020 7228 5111 batterseasales@ramptonbaseley.com www.ramptonbaseley.com

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Wakehurst Road £1,100 per week

An extremely impressive Edwardian house located on Wakehurst Road which has been tastefully refurbished, neutrally decorated throughout and fully extended into the basement and loft. The ground floor has been opened up to make a very spacious reception which which leads onto the garden and kitchen.

• Five Double Bedrooms • Family Bathroom • En-Suite Bathroom • Shower Room • Double Reception Room • Kitchen • Garden • Cinema/Play Room • Unfurnished

Broomwood Road £900 per week A lovely family house measuring just over 2,000 sq foot and presented inexcellend condition throughout. This natural four bedroom house has been extended into the side return of the kitchen and basement to create an ample amount of living space.

• Four double bedrooms • Kitchen/breakfast room • Double reception room • Bathroom • Two shower rooms • Basement playroom • Utility room • Garden • Unfurnished

131 Nor thcote Road London SW11 6PS T:020 7228 5111 batterseasales@ramptonbaseley.com www.ramptonbaseley.com

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£895 per week

Amner Road

• Five double bedrooms • Reception room • Kitchen/dining/reception room • Family bathroom • Shower room • En suite shower room • Cellar • South West facing garden • Unfurnished

Grandison Road

• Two Double bedrooms • Bathroom • Mezzanine kitchen/breakfast room • Reception room • Furnished

Clapham Common Northside

£525 per week Unfurnished

• Two double bedrooms • Reception room • Kitchen/breakfast room • En suite shower room • Bathroom • Communal gardens • Unfurnished

£500 per week

Northcote Road

£425 per week

• Two double bedrooms • Bathroom • Eat in kitchen • Reception room • Furnished/Unfurnished

131 Nor thcote Road London SW11 6PS T:020 7228 5111 batterseasales@ramptonbaseley.com www.ramptonbaseley.com

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IN THEIR OWN

WORDS GEORGE FRANKS

Sales Director of Douglas & Gordon Photography: Rebecca Noonan

I

f you paint a picture of Battersea with words, traditionally you would come up with the park, the river flowing by, and possibly all the mansion blocks overlooking Battersea Park with their smart Victorian frontages. You would definitely mention the power station with the towering chimneys and the vast six acres of building. If you went into more detail your eye would be drawn to the hundreds of streets of Victorian terraced houses which have been the homes to thousands of people since the turn of the century.

Our whole image of Battersea is about to change permanently. As you can see behind the rather unflattering photo of me, the cranes and the building in the background are very much going to be the new Battersea. It will, from now on, be seen as a London neighbourhood with two different types of housing, in fact, two very different skylines. So, will the areas combine or will the two areas separate and become their own selves? Battersea might well turn its nose up at this new upstart of a patch, or the Nine Elms towers might literally look down on the traditional old fashioned Battersea. You could argue that the area being developed is not in fact Battersea at all, its postcode is SW8 not SW11, and the Eastern end of Nine Elms Lane is, without a doubt, Vauxhall.

The ‘new’ Battersea will attract investment from all around the world.

These investors will look for capital growth as well as rental yield. Large numbers of tenants, as well as owner occupiers will inhabit these new homes creating a much more diverse and transient population not normally seen in this part of town. Vauxhall which has in the past been a small island will now be linked with Battersea and visa versa.

Developments like Riverlight and Embassy Gardens that you can see in the photo are just the arrowhead of an enormous amount of building and development. If you include the Battersea Power Station site, this is going to be over 200 acres of cement, which will create thousands of new homes, hotels, cinemas, shops, restaurants, in fact, a whole new Battersea.

This is the largest central area of development in any European city.

Remember fondly the old Battersea because the vibrant, thumping new Battersea is about to rise from the ashes of the power station and the area will be changed forever. In this author’s opinion, we should embrace and enjoy the revolution.

020 7924 2000; douglasandgordon.com

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ABSOLUTELY Property

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Completely at home in London With 50 branches across the Capital and over 35 years’ London property experience, we are perfectly placed to help with all your property needs.

So, if you’re thinking of buying, selling, renting or letting visit kfh.co.uk today.

Our services Sales and Lettings Financial Services Chartered Surveyors Block Management Commercial Property

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Burns Road, Battersea, SW11 £530,000 Leasehold Battersea Park 020 7924 1944 Email sbp@kfh.co.uk

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A stunningly presented two bedroom maisonette arranged over the ground floor and benefitting from a large south facing garden. This property is situated in the popular Burns conservation area.

• • • • • • • • •

Own front door Excellent condition Modern fitted kitchen One stylish bathroom Period features Large, pretty garden Near to Clapham Junction Close to Battersea Park EPC rating D

06/01/2014 10:01 15:43 03/01/2014

Torrens Road, Brixton, SW2 OIEO £950,000 Freehold Clapham 020 8675 5436 Email scs@kfh.co.uk

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Designed to the highest of standards with attention paid to every detail is this beautiful three bedroom family home located in the popular Sudbourne area of Brixton.

• • • • • • • • •

Double reception room Extended kitchen/diner Master bedroom Two further doubles Stylish bathroom Mezzanine area West facing garden Offered chain free EPC rating C

06/01/2014 10:02 15:44 03/01/2014

Granville Road, Southfields, SW18 £1,450,000 Freehold Southfields 020 8871 9655 Email ssf@kfh.co.uk

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This well proportioned and immaculately presented property is situated close to the popular St Michael’s COE Primary School.

• • • • • • • • •

Four double bedrooms Master with en suite Open plan kitchen/living room Front reception room Modern family bathroom Ground floor cloakroom 100ft (approximate) rear garden Off street parking EPC rating C

15:44 06/01/2014 15:00

Smugglers Way, Wandsworth, SW18 £1,595 pcm Furnished

A beautiful two double bedroom riverside flat located within this modern development in Wandsworth. This property is situated close to transport links and local amenities.

• • • • • •

Light reception Two double bedrooms Modern fitted kitchen Modern bathroom Private balcony EPC rating C

Putney 020 8785 3433 Email lph@kfh.co.uk £210 tenancy agreement fee per property. Other fees apply, visit kfh.co.uk/lettingsfees

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Battersea Park Road, Battersea, SW11 £3,034 pcm Furnished Battersea 020 7228 8688 Email lbp@kfh.co.uk

An impressive two double bedroom apartment set within a converted old college building close to Queenstown Road and Battersea Park train stations.

• • • • • • •

Two large double bedrooms Open plan living room and kitchen Separate dining area Two bathrooms Fantastic condition throughout Moments from Battersea Park EPC rating B

£210 tenancy agreement fee per property. Other fees apply, visit kfh.co.uk/lettingsfees

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06/01/2014 10:03 15:45 03/01/2014

ABSOLUTELY Property

Prime Purchase

A delightful and immaculately presented four double bedroom Victorian family house.

T

his lovely family home forms part of an attractive terrace, offering very well proportioned living and entertaining space, including an extremely smart, extended kitchen. Cloudesdale Road runs between Ritherdon Road and Elmfield Road, close to both the independent shops & restaurants on Ritherdon Road and Tooting Common. Balham, with its excellent shopping facilities, bars, restaurants and mainline station (providing direct access to London Victoria via Clapham Junction) is within easy reach and the nearest Underground stations can be found at Balham and Tooting Bec (Northern Line). There is also a wide selection of both private, state and nursery schools close by.

Details

Cloudesdale Road, SW17 Price on Application - Freehold

Contact

Rymer Irens, Nightingale Lane 020 8045 8989; rymer-irens.com

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We’re not Slowing Down in 2014

www.chamberlandres.co.uk | 020 8704 1313 lettings@chamberlandres.co.uk | sales@chamberlandres.co.uk 212 Upper Richmond Road, London, SW15 6TD Chamberland_FEB.indd 2

07/01/2014 15:05

MOVING in Nothing’s better than the inside scoop. Local agents give their recommendations...

FACT

The All England Croquet Club held its first Lawn Tennis Championship in 1877. Due to growth, in 1922 the club was renamed the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Paul Lintott

John D Wood & Co., Wimbledon

020 8944 7172; johndwood.co.uk

INTERIOR INSPIRATION

Baker and Stonehouse, in the Old Candle Factory, sells amazing contemporary furniture and accessories. The design of the shop will give you loads of inspiration.

Victoria Farrar Currell, Battersea

020 3668 1000; currell.com

TIME OUT

I’m told by my wife that ‘All About The Girl’ on Northcote Road, which is owned by Gordon Ramsay’s wife Tana, is the go-to salon for a good pampering.

Charles Streatfeild Marsh & Parsons, Battersea

020 7228 9292; marshandparsons.co.uk

LOCAL STREET

KIDS

HANG OUT

I find Lacy Road has the best vibe. It’s very central, with quaint period houses mixed with cute restaurants, cafes and the beer gardens of the Jolly Gardener and the Coat & Badge.

Feel the need to throw your child into a padded room? Then look no further than Bertie and Boo’s Adventure Island! With a soft play area with ball pits and story time.

Prestige is a good independent café with a prime view & Caffe Nero is popular, as well as dog friendly. Olivers Art Gallery supports artists and The Village Bookshop is worth a visit.

Nicole

Chamberland Chamberland Residential

020 8704 1313; chamberlandres.co.uk

Angus Irens Rymer Irens, Bellevue Road

020 8767 2222; rymer-irens.com

Fiona Bourke

Sullivan Thomas, Wandsworth Common

020 8682 3121; sullivanthomas.co.uk

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CGI representation of The Schoolyard

The Old York Road

The Thames Path

Northcote Road

Stunning new 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments with balconies in the heart of vibrant SW18

NOW SELLING To register your interest and book a viewing at our marketing suite call 0844 406 9288 or visit

www.theschoolyardsw18.com

BLIPP The Schoolyard marble with logo to find out more.

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10:06 15:52

mag

Local know-how. Better results.

Our offices:

Battersea

Chelsea

Fulham

Kensington

Mayfair

Pimlico & Westminster

Balham

Bishops Park

Clapham

Hammersmith

Little Venice

North Kensington

South Kensington

Barnes

Brook Green

Earls Court

Holland Park

Marylebone

Notting Hill

Culmstock Road SW11 £1,550,000 This impressive family house extends to 2,000 sqft, offering excellent bedroom and reception space. The house is situated on an attractive, quiet residential street in the area known as ‘between the commons’. The house briefly comprises a large double reception room, a spacious kitchen extended into the side return, five double bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large west facing garden to the rear. Freehold. EPC=F BATTERSEA: 020 7228 9292 sales.bat@marshandparsons.co.uk

M&P_6 pages.indd 1

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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

Dornton Road SW12 ÂŁ1,250,000 This superb five-bedroom family house located on a quiet residential street, comprises two reception rooms with feature fireplaces, a large family kitchen and separate dining room leading out to a south facing garden. At the back of the garden there is an office and shed. On the first floor, there is a master bedroom with built-in wardrobes, two additional double bedrooms, a study and a family bathroom. The second floor provides a double bedroom and a bathroom. Freehold. EPC=D. Sole Agents.

BALHAM: 020 8673 4377 sales.bal@marshandparsons.co.uk

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The Negotiator Awards 2013 (for the 2nd year running!)

Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year 2013 - Gold (for the 2nd year running!)

Community Champion of the Year

Best London Estate Agency

The Negotiator Awards 2013 - Silver

Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year 2013 (Medium) - Gold (for the 4th year running!)

Clapham Common North Side SW4 ÂŁ925,000 Arranged over the first floor of a Victorian building with views across Clapham Common, this spacious two-bedroom flat is located in the heart of Clapham Old Town. This superb property is well presented throughout, offering over 1,000 sqft of living space comprising: entrance hallway, two double bedrooms (both with built-in storage space), a modern bathroom, separate shower room, kitchen and a generous reception/dining room. The property further benefits from off street parking for one car. Leasehold. EPC=D. Sole Agents.

CLAPHAM: 020 7501 3666 sales.clp@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

Manor Gardens SW4 ÂŁ775,000 A superb three-bedroom flat offering generous living space beautifully arranged over the ground floor and offering direct access to impressive communal gardens. Manor Gardens is a well maintained Victorian mansion block sitting peacefully on Larkhall Rise, within easy reach of both Clapham High Street and Clapham Common. Leashold. EPC=E. Sole Agents.

CLAPHAM: 020 7501 3666 sales.clp@marshandparsons.co.uk

Dagnan Road SW12 ÂŁ599,999 This superb two-bedroom is quietly located on a in a quiet residential road close to Clapham South Station. This spacious property boasts a large reception room, a separate fitted kitchen and a private garden. The bedroom accommodation includes is a master bedroom, a second double bedroom, family bathroom and a cellar. Leasehold. EPC=C. Sole Agents.

BALHAM: 020 8673 4377 sales.bal@marshandparsons.co.uk

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Local know-how. Better results.

Our ofďŹ ces:

Battersea

Chelsea

Fulham

Kensington

Mayfair

Pimlico & Westminster

Balham

Bishops Park

Clapham

Hammersmith

Little Venice

North Kensington

South Kensington

Barnes

Brook Green

Earls Court

Holland Park

Marylebone

Notting Hill

Shandon Road SW4 ÂŁ1,200 per week This stunning five-bedroom house is situated in the heart of Abbeville Village. The property has been completely refurbished throughout providing a contemporary interior whilst also retaining its period features. The property comprises a bright open plan kitchen/reception room, with separate utility room and doors leading out to a beautiful south facing garden and a second reception room with feature fireplace. EPC=D. BALHAM: 020 8673 4377 lets.bal@marshandparsons.co.uk

M&P_6 pages.indd 9

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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

LETTINGS

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

Rosebery Mews SW2 £695 per week This beautiful mews house has been completely refurbished to provide a beautiful open plan kitchen/reception room, three large double bedrooms, with built-in storage, three modern bathrooms and a laundry room. The property further benefits from a private ‘out house’, which can be used for storing bikes as well as off street parking. EPC=C

CLAPHAM: 020 7501 3666 lets.clp@marshandparsons.co.uk

Gowrie Road SW11 £395 per week This is an elegant garden flat located close to Clapham Junction and Clapham Common. The property, finished to exacting standard with high quality fixtures and fittings throughout, offerrs a double bedroom and modern bathroom. There are wooden floors in the double reception room, which leads to a stunning kitchen with patio doors out to a beautiful sun-drenched garden. EPC=D

BATTERSEA: 020 7228 9292 lets.bat@marshandparsons.co.uk

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ABSOLUTELY Property

Spotlight on Battersea Through the Keyhole

A

brand new two bedroom apartment in Jasmine House to let - the latest phase in the hugely successful Battersea Reach development by St George. This beautifully presented apartment has a professionally designed interior, and is fully furnished to the highest standard throughout. The apartment offers a high specification, with mood lighting, underfloor heating and an Opus sound system. Battersea Reach offers luxury Riverside living, with a 24 hour concierge, residents gym, on site nursery, medical centre, coffee shops, Youngs pub and Tesco Express.

Reception Room The open plan reception room has been beautifully furnished, and leads onto a private balcony with river views.

Kitchen The custom designed kitchen is fully integrated with all modern appliances, including a coffee machine and wine cooler.

Bedroom The master bedroom offers plenty of storage with built in wardrobes, and an en suite bathroom with Villeroy & Boch sanitary ware.

Details

Jasmine House, Battersea Reach, SW18 £600 Per Week

Contact

020 7585 0504; martinco.com � Martin & Co London Riverside

020 7585 0504; martinco.com

Public Knowledge Danny Hardy Sales Manager at Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, Battersea � 020 7228 2666; kfh.co.uk

RAINY DAY

SPORTS AND REC

BEST SCHOOL

FUN FOR FREE

Browsing along Northcote Road and popping into some of the many food shops and boutiques, followed by a leisurely lunch at the Bolingbroke, a cosy pub which serves a very tasty selection of traditional British food, is my ideal way to spend on a rainy day.

Surrounded by green open spaces, we’re spoilt for choice here, a run around Wandsworth Common on a Saturday morning is fantastic. There are also tons of activities for kids to get involved in, like the Little Kickers football school or Rugger Bees rugby coaching.

There are a number of great schools in the area, most notably Bellville and Honeywell Primary Schools, which have both received ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted reports.

The cycle path along the Thames is fun and varied and takes you through Battersea Park and along the River Thames, which has some beautiful views.

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Cavalry Gardens, SW15

£2,850 PCM

Earlsfield Road, SW18

£1,750 PCM

• Three Double Bedroom Mews House • Spacious And Light Throughout • Modern Fitted Kitchen • Secluded South Facing Garden • Three Double Bedrooms • Two Bathrooms (One EnSuite) • Fitted Wardrobes In All Bedrooms • Secure Off Street Parking • Residents swimming pool • Conveniently located

• Stunning Garden Flat • Large Reception Room • Modern Kitchen • Two Double Bedrooms • Bathroom • En-Suite Shower Room • Large Private Garden • Cellar • Wood Floors • Central Location

Gwendolen Avenue, SW15 £1,700PCM

Oxford Road, SW15

• Stunning Period Conversion Flat • First Floor *Reception Open Plan To Modern Kitchen • Two Double Bedrooms *Smart Bathroom • Communal Garden • Close To Putney High Street • Upper West Putney Premier Road • Garage By Separate Negotiation

• Two Double Bedroom Flat • Reception Room • Modern Kitchen • Smart Bathroom With Shower • Moments From High Street, Mainline And Underground

£1,475 PCM

194 Upper Richmond Road SW15 2SH / 139 Lower Richmond Road SW15 1EZ Tel: 020 8780 1100 / sales@warrenputney.co.uk / warrenputney.co.uk WARREN_B&C_FEB.2.indd 2

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An imposing, handsome and well presented detached Victorian house with a large west facing garden and off street parking on one of the best roads in West Putney. Of particular note is the exceptionally generous entertaining space on the raised ground floor.

Westhorpe Road, SW15 £1,550,000

• Detached Victorian Freehold House •Large West Facing Garden •Three Reception Rooms • 26ft Kitchen Breakfast Room • Guest W.C. • Master Bedroom With Large En-Suite Bathroom •Six Further Bedrooms • Modern Family Bathroom • Epc Rating D

An exceptionally well presented Victorian terrace house with a private West Facing garden on a popular residential road in prime West Putney. The property has been fully extended and modernised to a very high standard.

Egliston Road, SW15 £3,500,000

• Victorian Terraced House • Double Reception • Kitchen Breakfast Room • Downstairs W.C.• Cellar/ Utility • West Facing Garden • Master Bedroom • Two Double Bedrooms • Large Double Bedroom En-Suite • Under floor heating (kitchen and bathrooms) • Eaves Storage • Epc Rating E

194 Upper Richmond Road SW15 2SH / 139 Lower Richmond Road SW15 1EZ WARREN_B&C_FEB.2.indd 3

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T: 020 8780 1100

Chartfield Avenue, SW15

warrenputney.co.uk

£2,250,000 Santos Road, SW15

• Double fronted detached house • Drawing room • Dining room • Kitchen/breakfast room • Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom • Four further double bedrooms • Garden with off street parking • Garage • 99ft + south facing garden • EPC rating E

Rotherwood Road, SW15

• Over 2,350 Sq Ft • Entrance Hallway • Double Reception Room • Spacious Eat In Kitchen/Breakfast/Family Room • Downstairs Cloakroom • Master Bedroom • Three Further Double Bedrooms • Shower Room • Large Family Bathroom • Cellar • Epc Rating D

£1,350,000 Wellwood Court, SW15

• River road • Lower west putney • Victorian terraced house • Master bedroom • Four further bedrooms • Modern kitchen breakfast room • Double reception room • Cellar with built in storage • Private west facing garden • EPC rating F

£1,500,000

£585,000

• 1930’s Building •Top Floor*Bright Entrance Hallway • Reception With Fireplace • Kitchen*Master Bedroom • Two Further Double Bedrooms • Bathroom• Lift And Off Street Parking • Share Of Freehold • Epc Rating D

Tel: 020 8780 1100 / sales@warrenputney.co.uk / warrenputney.co.uk WARREN_B&C_FEB.2.indd 4

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ABSOLUTELY Property

Wonderful Wimbledon John Keeble of Hamptons International

on his love of Wimbledon…

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always think a good test of whether you should buy in an area is will you want to live there in 100 years’ time?

Wimbledon passes this test very well for a number of reasons. In the 1900s the areas to the south west of London, including Wimbledon, were popular with the middle and upper middle classes as they had better air quality due to the prevailing winds. This means some beautiful Victorian and Edwardian architecture was built that can still be enjoyed today.

Wimbledon offers an interesting mix of architectural styles for buyers; there is something for everyone, which is important because there is a wide variety of buyers, especially from overseas who sometimes prefer more modern styles. The area is protected to some extent by various conservation areas. There are numerous cultural activities in Wimbledon including a theatre, an excellent ballet school (which is now run by my wife) and many artistic and literary events. Open space and excellent transport facilities with both tube and mainline do not usually go together, but Wimbledon is an exception. With this in mind it makes Wimbledon a good place to live now and in the future. � 020 8454 7249; hamptons.co.uk

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ndrew Scott Robertson were delighted to sponsor Wimbledon Village Riding Stables’ Carols

by Candlelight last Saturday 7th December. Attended by the Mayor Consort, local children, families and friends, Santa made a surprise visit; he needed help delivering some of his toys as Rudolph was still on holiday, so Cookie the pony came to the rescue. Held in the stable yard, overlooked by the horses munching away on their hay, children and adults sang traditional Christmas carols, helped along by mulled wine, mince pies and children’s treats, and it even snowed! This magical event has become an essential part of the Village Christmas festivities and was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. All proceeds went to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. � 020 8971 6780 ; as-r.co.uk

� Lansdowne Villa, Lansdowne Road, SW20 Guide Price £1,699,999

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stunning Victorian house, situated on a quiet no-through road, within walking distance of Wimbledon Village and Common. Benefitting from a secluded, south west facing garden, off street parking and offered with no onward chain. The property is finished to a very high standard with high ceilings and provides excellent entertaining space.

Contact

Jackson-Stops & Staff, Wimbledon 020 8879 0099; jackson-stops.co.uk

Lloyd Noblett Sales Manager of Jacksons, Wimbledon

My Favourite Place:

B

eing a life long Merton resident, it is difficult pick one. If I had to choose, it would have to be Wimbledon Park, an eclectic offering of sports facilities, open space, fishing, boating lake and children’s recreational play area. It also has a family café with a fantastic range of gelato ice cream to accompany a summers day, which I can highly recommend. � 020 3195 9111; jacksonsestateagents.com/

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lauristons

FEBRUARY 2014

ABSOLUTELY PROMOTION

20

TH

ANNIVERSARY 1994 – 2014

Celebrating 20 years of finding homes

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ABSOLUTELY PROMOTION

CELEBRATE

WITH LAURISTONS!

2

014 marks the 20th Anniversary of Lauristons. Our actual anniversary falls in August; however we have decided to mark this milestone throughout the year and have a host of exciting events and activities planned for the communities in our office

locations of Balham, Battersea, Merton Park, Putney and Wimbledon.

Lauristons, one of the leading independent South West London estate agents, look forward to raising a glass and celebrating the past 20 years as well as looking forward to the next 20!

NEW HOMES & LAND UPDATE

ESTATE AGENCY FOUNDATION AMBITIOUS PLANS TO RAISE EVEN MORE IN 2014

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auristons are proud of their charity efforts and over the last 20 years have helped to raise awareness and vital funds for both national and local causes.

From cycling to running, Lauristons have supported the Estate Agency Foundation, helping to raise over £150,000 in 2013, for charities combating the causes of homelessness.

2014 is no different and Lauristons are thrilled to have staff lined up to participate in a night sleeping rough, a local community cake baking competition and testing their all-round strength, stamina and determination by

DARREN BAKER LAND AND NEW HOMES DIRECTOR

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participating in Tough Mudder – the 12 mile endurance challenge designed by the Special Forces. Good Luck All!

HINTS AND TIPS LAURISTONS LOVE……

USING AN ICE CUBE ON YOUR CARPET TO REMOVE FURNITURE INDENTATIONS

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ver the final few months of 2013, the continued lack of homes available to buy in the ‘second hand’ sector of the residential sales market has continued to encourage more and more purchasers to consider the benefits of purchasing brand new homes.

In recent years, investment in New Homes from overseas had helped to underpin values and drive unit sales. However; 2013 has seen a resurgence of demand from domestic owner occupiers and investors, even on new homes that are not due for completion until late 2014 or

• Move furniture to uncover carpet dents • Place an ice cube in each indentation and leave to melt • Keep checking the carpet, blotting up any excess water with white paper towel

early 2015. The steady pricing in the rental sector and continued low interest rates, coupled with the lack of ‘second hand’ supply leaves purchasers with the confidence that securing a property at today’s price is likely to reap benefits further along the line when they come to complete. At Lauristons, our new homes sites are selling many, if not all, of the units off plan over 12 months in advance of completion. We have an extensive database of applicants seeking to secure property across South West London, both finished and off plan as well as a number of new sites ready to release over the course of the year. The specialist team at Lauristons dedicated to handling new homes transactions are able to provide insightful advice on all aspects of purchasing, selling or investing in the range of new homes products available.

For more information, please call us on 020 8879 9099. darren.baker@lauristons.com Land and New Homes Director

• If there is still some evidence of indentation, gently use a clean fork to lift the remaining carpet fibres • Repeat as necessary until indentation has disappeared

08/01/2014 17:18

2

1994 – 2014 Celebrating 20 years of findingRecommended. homes Local.

Trusted.

COMMUNITY NOTES

Head down to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew to marvel at the fantastic Orchid Festival



20 THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH IN SW LONDON

Don your blue suede shoes and dance the night away with the King himself…’One night of Elvis’ at the New Wimbledon theatre

Budding artist in the family?

Book your space on the paint, splash & splosh creative workshop at the Polka Theatre



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Wrap up warm and take a Valentines Stroll in one of South West London’s wonderful green open spaces

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enjoy the activities on offer at the LOST theatre and Battersea Arts Centre A must see exhibition Tennis of the Riviera at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum



Book tickets to The Russian State Ballet’s Swan Lake at the New Wimbledon Theatre



Thank you for the music – Book your tickets for Abbamania at the New Wimbledon Theatre



Enjoy a night of Jazz at the Half Moon Pub in Putney



Sit back, relax and head to movie night to watch ‘Captain Phillips’ at The Exhibit, Balham



Feeling artistic? Book a place on the Screen Printing or Dressmaking workshop at the Papered Parlour in Clapham

Laughter is often considered the best form of Medicine...

See for yourself at Comedy Carnival at The Clapham Grand

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Involve the whole family and

Rising young star in the family? Book a place on the Actor’s Boot Camp workshop at the Polka Theatre Wimbledon



Calling all fashionistas! Take inspiration from London Fashion Week this month and explore the fabulous shops and boutiques on your doorstep



Book Valentines dance lessons for you and your loved one at the Karen Hardy Studios



Like Lauristons, The Lantern Arts Centre are also celebrating their 20th Birthday. Join them in their celebrations!



Check out the fantastic art exhibitions at Wimbledon College of Art

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If Historical romantics are looking for the perfect setting, why not head down to the river and enjoy an afternoon stroll at Hampton Court Palace, where Henry VIII wooed his many brides.

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Take to the water! Go Canoeing’s guided tour – ‘Familys Afloat’ will take place on the afternoon of Sunday 23rd February. An action packed afternoon with fantastic views of the river. Children must be 9 years old and over.



Join the team at Sambrooks Brewery in Battersea for one of their evening brewery tours, held on the third Wednesday of every month.



SPORTS NEWS

DYLAN MAAS JUNIOR SPORTS REPORTER

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auristons are delighted to introduce Dylan Maas as junior sports reporter.

Dylan who is captain of the Wimbledon Warriors U13 A rugby team and former winner of the prestigious Warriors Clubman of the year award, will be contributing to our monthly sports round up and writing a blog which will feature on www.lauristons.com and lauristons social media. Here is a preview of what’s in store….

n’s given the honour of being Lauristo My name is Dylan and I have been local a is h ger within the War riors whic sponsored player and spor ts blog and e, Raynes Park . I am 13 years old rugby club based on Coombe Lan five years. have been with the club for the last h league and at present we are This is our first year within the yout e fast hand. With our next league gam second in the table with games in a for ahead of us, we are preparing approaching, and a tough month re a local rival, and then a league fixtu friendly against Old Emmanuel, test. month, which will be a real against Dorking at the end of the day’s the season again, though this Sun The team are looking forward to to get have not trained for a while so need training will be hard work as we our fitness back up... Can’t wait!

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ABSOLUTELY PROMOTION

PROPERTY ROUNDUP This months property highlights Putney Wharf, SW15

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harming two double bedroom apartment situated on the third floor of this prestigious Riverside Development beside Putney Bridge and boasting attractive views of the River Thames. Benefiting from two bathrooms, a private balcony and allocated parking, the property is offered to the market with no onward chain. EPC EER Rating C

£845,000 Leasehold Putney Sales 020 8780 8780

Stormont Road, SW11

Carrington House, SW19

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T

£950,000 Freehold

£775,000 Leasehold

ocated on a peaceful tree lined residential road to the north of Clapham Common, this Victorian mid-terrace house with four double bedrooms is arranged over three floors. The ground floor comprises of a bright and spacious reception room with original fireplace, kitchen/dining room leading out on to a private patio garden. The first floor offers a spacious master bedroom, two further double bedrooms and a family bathroom. The second floor consists of a large double bedroom with en-suite and access to a private roof terrace. EPC EER Rating E.

Battersea Sales 020 7978 5800

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his substantial top floor penthouse apartment offers 1486 SQFT of accommodation and is conveniently located between both Wimbledon BR station and South Wimbledon Northern line tube. Presented in excellent condition throughout, the property offers two double bedrooms, two bathrooms, an exceptionally spacious living room with two balconies, gated parking, lift access and a long lease. Offered to the market with no onward chain, we would thoroughly recommend an early appointment to view. EPC EER Rating C.

Wimbledon Sales 020 8946 9468

08/01/2014 17:19

1994 – 2014 Celebrating 20 years of finding homes Surrey Lane, SW11

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obalt Place, A new development by internationally renowned developer Lend Lease. These 104 stunning new properties are built to the highest sustainability standards, with high quality specification including contemporary kitchens with handless doors, double-glazed windows, underfloor heating and fresh air ventilation to each apartment. Many of the apartments feature either balconies

or patio gardens to the ground floor and private parking available at an additional cost. Completion estimated for Spring/Summer 2015.

From £420,000 / £530,000 New Homes 0870 600 3690

Clapham Common, SW11

Wimbledon Broadway, SW18

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E

£2,275 Per Calendar Month

£1,750 Per Calendar Month

Battersea Lettings 020 7978 5800

Wimbledon Lettings 020 8405 5340

his bright and spacious two bedroom apartment offers wellpresented living and entertaining accommodation in a superb location along Clapham Common. The property comprises a lovely reception room with wonderful park views, modern kitchen with integrated appliances, two well-proportioned double bedrooms of which one is en-suite and a contemporary family bathroom.

nviably located in Wimbledon Broadway this fabulous two bedroom, two bathroom apartment offers luxurious accommodation classically decorated in an elegant style and features quality wooden flooring throughout. The property comprises a vast open plan kitchen/reception room with contemporary fittings.

Stables Yard, Southfields, SW18

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stunning contemporary house situated in a private gated development, finished to an extremely high standard and an early inspection is advised. Comprises entrance hall, eat in kitchen with integrated appliances, spacious reception, cloakroom/WC, two double bedrooms (master with en-suite) and family bathroom. Property benefits a private landscaped rear garden and off street parking. EPC EER Rating C

£2,580 Per Calendar Month Putney Lettings 020 8780 8780

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sullivanthomas.co.uk | carterjonas.co.uk

LYMINGE GARDENS SW18

£650 P/W

Lovely 4 bedroom family house very close to Wandsworth Common and the station (12 minutes to Victoria) and within the Beatrix Potter school catchment area.

• 4 Bedrooms

• 2 Bathrooms

• Double Reception Room

• Garden

• Kitchen

• Unfurnished

• 2 Double Bedrooms

• Bathroom

• Large Reception Room

• Newly Decorated

• Kitchen

• Part Furnished

TRINITY ROAD SW17

£350 P/W

Good 1st floor 2 double bedroom split level flat as part of this Victorian conversion with a large reception, kitchen, bathroom and newly decorated.

Wandsworth Lettings: 020 8682 3121

Full online details including the EPC are available by scanning this code using any QR code scanner

Wandsworth Lettings: 020 8682 3121

Part of a network of 9 offices in London and a further 20 across the country

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LANGROYD ROAD SW17

£800,000 F/H

A stylish and charming 3 bedroom Victorian terraced house in this excellent location.

• 3 Bedrooms

• Bathroom

• Double Reception Room

• South West Facing Garden

• Kitchen/Breakfast Room

• Great Location

• Outstanding Garden

• Superb Location

• 4 Bedrooms

• 2 Bath/Shower Rooms

• Double Reception Room

• Basement

• Kitchen

• Zone 2 (Northern Line)

ROSENEATH ROAD SW11 £1,600,000 F/H With a spectacular south facing garden, this 4 bedroom family house offers one of the most outstanding and large private gardens situated ‘Between the Commons.

Wandsworth Sales: 020 8767 7711

Full online details including the EPC are available by scanning this code using any QR code scanner

Wandsworth Sales: 020 8767 7711

sullivanthomas.co.uk | carterjonas.co.uk

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Property News Douglas & Gordon collect goodies to fill Christmas hampers for vulnerable children

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taff from Douglas & Gordon took to the streets on Thursday 5th December 2013, for the fourth annual D&G Charity Day in aid of the children’s charity - Kids Company. Sporting bright blue ‘Douglas & Gordon Delivers’ boilersuits and reindeer outfits, D&G staff collected over 14,000 items from the company’s 19 offices to create Christmas hampers for London’s vulnerable children.

Each office was specially decorated for the day and stocked with D&G goodies to be given to everyone who donated to this worthwhile cause. The items collected, ranging from tins of beans

to new toys, were packed into thousands of individual hampers by Douglas & Gordon staff, ready to be handed out at Christmas to the thousands of children that are looked after by Kids Company.

Douglas & Gordon also collected over £5,500 from generous donors within the Douglas & Gordon territory, many of them donating via a Just Giving page. D&G staff held a number of other fund raising activities on the day. James French, manager at the West Putney Office completed the ‘D&G Marathon’, running to each D&G office on the day - a total of approximately 26 miles - while the Ixworth Place office held a coffee morning and cake sale to raise funds. � Douglas & Gordon, 020 7963 4600; douglasandgordon.com, justgiving.com/DandGkidsco

THE BEST OF BATTERSEA VILLAGE KFH in conjunction with Zoopla.co.uk has compiled a selection of London village guides and found that living in or near to a village in London can typically command a premium in the region of 51%.

Each month we’ll feature one of those villages, and this month we’re focusing on Battersea village.

Battersea Park Road, SW11

James Castleman Sales Manager at Featherstone Leigh, Battersea

� 020 7228 2278; featherstoneleigh.co.uk

Success in 2013

W

e’ve seen record activity over the past quarter and don’t anticipate any slowing up as we enter 2014. Everything we have taken on in the past two months has sold at or above asking price, no doubt partly due to the fantastic rates banks are offering on mortgages at the moment. This has led to many applicants, currently in rented accommodation, converting into buyers, particularly in the middle end of the market, as new lending schemes launch.

Battersea has always been an extremely popular place to live, with demand currently at such a high level that we recently sold a property at asking price, within 4 days of taking on the instruction, before we had even printed the details.

Looking forward to the first quarter of 2014, I expect the high levels of sales activity to continue, and perhaps even increase.

Patrick Rampton Director of Rampton Baseley

£695,000 Leasehold

� 020 7228 5111; ramptonbaseley.com

Annual price increase: 9% | Average house price: £687,498 (Zoopla)

n the past 4 years or so we have seen a huge change in the local sociodemographic make-up. Four years ago our research showed that around 85% of our buyers were local people moving up and down the property ladder. Our research for this last year has shown that figures have dropped to just over 40% - a massive change in such a short time. Of the rest, 45% are now foreign nationals or from over the river, and the missing 15% come from outside London. This is directly related to the huge influx of foreign and investment money coming into prime London residential property. This has priced out a lot of the usual buyers for Kensington, Chelsea, etc and sent them across the river.

Combine this influx from the denizens of the North Bank with the effects of recent Eurozone wobble and M. Hollande’s tax policies (we now have a French translation button on our website) and you’ll see that we have a hugely varied and cosmopolitan little corner of London. They once rented when posted to London, now they buy.

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n the banks of the River Thames directly south of Chelsea and north of Clapham, Battersea is an affluent area. This popular south London village has excellent local schools, charming streets lined with pretty Victorian houses, cottages and impressive red brick mansion blocks.

Tucked away from this busy main thoroughfare, there’s a great selection of cafes, Italian delis, gastro pubs and late night bars, as well as fine restaurants. Battersea is famously home to the internationally renowned Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and the 200 acre Battersea Park – a top local attraction.

The area used to be an industrial hub, widely Transport links: Battersea Park train station (Zone 2) Bus routes: 44, 137, 156, 344 (24 hours) and 452. Night buses: N44 and N137

known for its large warehouses and the iconic Grade II listed Battersea Power Station, which stopped generating electricity in 1983, dominates the skyline. This historic village can be traced back to 693 AD when it was named ‘Badrices Ege’ and in the Domesday Book of 1086 AD, where it was recorded as a wellestablished village.

Interesting Fact : Battersea village was established in the 7th Century, making it the oldest village in London. The area was originally used as farmland before the industrial revolution. � KFH Battersea Park: 020 7924 1944 Main schools: Chesterton Primary School Falconbrook Primary School  For more information visit www.kfh.co.uk/village-guides

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ABSOLUTELY Property

Andrews is recognised as one of Britain’s best at national awards

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ndrews was awarded Silver in the ‘UK Best Large Estate Agency’ category at the Estate Agency Awards 2013 on Friday 6th December – the highest placing in the awards of any South West based estate agency. The company, which has headquarters in Keynsham has over 80 branches across the South West and South East of England and London. The award was collected by CEO Michael Robson, who was also recognised for his Outstanding Contribution to Estate Agency at the ceremony. Michael Robson said: “We’re thrilled to have been recognised again in this award category and to have won Silver. This represents our continued

Image l-r Penny Smith, Jeff Bathija Andrews London Area Manager, Ian Yates Head of Learning & Development at Andrews and Lesley Dunn Zoopla.co.uk (sponsor).

growth as a company and our commitment to success in what has been a changing property marketplace. The Andrews team work very hard to achieve excellent results for our clients and it was great to see this recognised by the judges, alongside our commitment to training and development to help our people be the best they can be.

We know we are unique in the UK. We balance working hard to contribute to the success of the company with ensuring that we support the communities that we work within and increase our charitable giving year on year. Overall, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Awards and everyone who works at Andrews.”.

aspire sponsored Clapham Opera Festival a big success

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he Clapham Opera Festival, which took place for the first time at the end of 2013 was considered a resounding success and plans are already in place for the 2014 event. David Kirkup, director of the Clapham office of estate agents who were main sponsor of the event comments; “We were so pleased to support such a successful and entertaining programme of opera style concerts attracting many local people – including children.

Feedback was so positive that this will now be a regular fixture in the Clapham social calendar.” Marie Soulier, Festival founder and artistic director says; “The Festival went beyond our expectations with 720 attendees over the four events. All goals were achieved - from supporting and showcasing young

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James Weston

Manager of John D Wood & Co., Wandsworth � 020 8871 3033; johndwood.co.uk

Favourite restaurant:

Meze, a small Lebanese restaurant close to Tooting Bec, serves delicious fresh food which is exceptional value for money. It can be hard to get a table without booking as there are only 14 covers! My favourites are baby chicken, hummus topped with lamb and pomegranate.

Best kept secret:

There is talk of a new bus service that will run from Tooting to Fulham Broadway via Trinity Road and across Wandsworth Bridge which is a much anticipated service for local residents, allowing easier access to north of the river.

Finest cocktail:

The Bentley Bar at Entrée, Battersea Rise, is inspired by a New York speakeasy from a bygone era. My favourite cocktail is a Whiskey Sour.

Stylish boutique:

Aimed at the over 25’s, Palmer sell a wide range of clothes and accessories.

The Wandsworth branch sells a range of European made-to-measure casual clothes and shoes for men, as well as jeans, shirts and Italian suits. artists and introducing children to a new genre to attracting those for whom Opera was a new experience and pleasing the Opera lovers at the same time.”claphamoperafestival. wordpress.com, aspire.co.uk

Jacksons Jackpot for lucky Dulwich resident s an opening promotion Jacksons Dulwich offered a cash prize of £5,000 to one lucky winner who put their house on the market with them to sell. This person along with everyone else who instructed Jacksons between 1st September 2013 and 31stNovember 2013 got to sell their house through them for 0% and also go in to the draw to win £5,000.

Numbers were restricted to the first 50 sales instructions, thus giving any one person a 1 in 50 chance of becoming £5,000 better off.

The draw was held on 9th November, where

Absolutely SW18

A lost hour:

Northcote Road antiques market. An indoor antiques treasure chest that despite being on the ever popular Northcote Road, feels undiscovered. Deceptively small from the exterior, it opens up into a huge room split on different levels with approximately 30 different specialist dealers offering their wares. It was featured in 2013 Antiques Road Show. Open 7 days a week.

An exceptional Property:

Nicosia Road, SW18. A handsome red brick semi-detached house set in Wandsworth’s desirable “Toast Rack”. With five bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, double reception room, Kitchen/dining/family room, cellar, cloakroom, garden, and off-street parking.

Guide price £2,850,000.

they invited one of their Vendors to come along with their children and for them to pull the lucky winners names from a basket. The winner was a Mr Joe Rowntree from Kitto Road and the East Dulwich manager Edward Ogden took great pleasure in telephoning Mr Rowntree and announcing the good news.

An extremely surprised but very delighted Mr Rowntree then made his way down to the East Dulwich office to collect his winning cheque. � 020 8875 7999 ; jacksonsestateagents.com

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The spoils of the hardy workplace warrior.

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featherstoneleigh.co.uk

Iveley Road, Clapham

£795 pw Fantastic four double bedroom house ideal for either a family or sharers located in this popular Clapham old town location. Within walking distance of Clapham North tube station. EPC = E.

t: 020 7228 2378

Lumiere Apartments, Battersea

£575 pw Stunning two bedroom subpenthouse apartment with a large private roof terrace, situated just moments from Clapham Junction and many local amenities. EPC = B.

t: 020 7228 2378

TENANT FEES: • £48.00 (including VAT) per person for referencing

• £195.00 (including VAT) per property for the tenancy agreement

Battersea

West Kensington

Barnes

Sheen

Kingston

Clapham

Fulham

Richmond

Twickenham

Chiswick

Putney

Chelsea

Kew

Teddington

Hammersmith

FULL PAGE.indd 2

06/01/2014 16:05

Northcote Road, Battersea

ÂŁ1,500,000 A very rare opportunity to purchase a beautiful period semi detached home, situated in a fabulous location on the fashionable Northcote Road. EPC = E.

t: 020 7228 2278

It’s our area...

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Offices throughout London

Kelman Close, SW4

£399,950

Battersea Park Road, SW11

£375,000

A fabulous two double bedroom garden flat situated in a quiet culde-sac moments from Clapham High Street. There is a fantastic large private garden to the rear, two good size double bedrooms and is in good condition throughout. Offered to the market chain free. EPC=D

Situated in the heart of Battersea is this fantastic two bedroom first floor flat. Offered to the market in good condition throughout, and situated within easy reach of many local transport links, Battersea Park and an abundance of shops and night life. EPC=D

Clapham Office 020 7627 8084 clapham@bushells.com

Clapham Office 020 7627 8084 clapham@bushells.com

Kings Avenue, SW12

Kingswood Road, SW2

£550,000

£540,000

A stunning three double bedroom garden flat, offering over 1000sqft of internal living space and the potential to extend further (STPP). The flat occupies the ground floor of this imposing period house, and has the benefit of a private 61ft garden, a summerhouse that is heated and off street parking. EPC=D

A beautifully presented, bright and spacious three bedroom maisonette offering generous living space of approx 1218sqft and ample period charm and character. The property consists of: Three double bedrooms, family bathroom, large and bright reception room, modern fitted kitchen, separate dining room, private balcony. EPC=E

Clapham Office 020 7627 8084 clapham@bushells.com

Clapham Office 020 7627 8084 clapham@bushells.com

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

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bushells.com

Wakehurst Road, SW11

£1,750,000

An opportunity to purchase this fantastic three double bedroom family home, enviably located on the south facing side of this well regarded road “between the commons”. A short walk from the ever popular Northcote Road, as well as Wandsworth Common, the property offers excellent scope for development into the loft, basement and kitchen side return (STPP). EPC=E

Clapham Office 020 7627 8084 clapham@bushells.com PART OF THE EDMUND CUDE GROUP

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

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ABSOLUTELY Property

Luxurious Lettings A stunning bay fronted three double bedroom house in South Park Gardens.

B

eautifully presented to a very high specification with a fantastic kitchen and bathroom. The property boasts a through lounge/diner with fireplace and wood flooring, modern kitchen with integrated appliances and plenty of storage, three good size double bedrooms, beautiful four piece bathroom and low maintenance garden with side access. The property is equidistant to the centre of Wimbledon, the station, and South Wimbledon underground, and is very close to the popular Holy Trinity Primary School, outstanding in recent Ofstead reports.

Details

Effra Road, SW19 ÂŁ2,250 Per Month

Contact

Ellisons, Wimbledon 020 8944 8626; ellisons.uk.com

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OFFICES THROUGHOUT SOUTH WEST LONDON balham

battersea 020 7801 3400

clapham north 020 7840 3700

clapham south

020 8673 6111

fulham central

fulham south 020 7736 6110

furzedown

tooting

020 7381 7381

020 8769 7900

020 8675 1222 020 8772 7080

Park Hill, SW4

£1,750 Per Week

This stunning detached property offers outstanding accommodation presented to the highest of standards. The lower ground floor comprises of a large kitchen diner running the full width of the property with bi-fold doors on to the landscaped garden, over the upper floors there is a formal reception room and six bedrooms. The property also benefits from a self-contained studio apartment and off street parking • Six double bedrooms • Separate self-contained studio • Off street parking • Wine cellar • Large Garden

aspire clapham south 020 8675 1222 clapham@aspire.co.uk

SOUTH WEST LONDON’S LEADING ESTATE AGENT

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.co.uk

06/01/2014 16:53

OFFICES THROUGHOUT SOUTH WEST LONDON clapham south

balham

battersea

clapham north

020 8673 6111

020 7801 3400

020 7840 3700

020 8675 1222

fulham central

fulham south 020 7736 6110

furzedown

tooting

020 7381 7381

020 8769 7900

020 8772 7080

Southside Quarter, SW11

£1,800,000

A stunning loft style penthouse apartment situated in a popular Victorian school development moments from Battersea Park. The property boasts a wealth of living space and ample storage with high ceilings and off street parking.

• Two double bedrooms • Master bedroom with dressing room & en-suite • Large kitchen/dining room • Light reception room with sash windows • Secure gated development with on site porter • Ideally located for transport links & bars and restaurants of Battersea

aspire battersea 020 7801 3400 battersea@aspire.co.uk

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Laitwood Road, SW12

£1,100,000

A super four bedroom mid-terraced family home in this sought-after residential street in central Balham. The house boasts four bedrooms, the master of which has built in wardrobes, en-suite bathroom, side return extension, loft conversion, roof terrace and utility room. The eat in family kitchen is a focal point with its range oven and leads out to the particularly private and largely low maintenance garden.

• Side Return.

• Loft Conversion.

• Roof Terrace.

• Two bathrooms

aspire balham 020 8673 6111 balham@aspire.co.uk

SOUTH WEST LONDON’S LEADING ESTATE AGENT

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.co.uk

06/01/2014 16:54

OFFICES THROUGHOUT SOUTH WEST LONDON balham

clapham north

clapham south

020 8673 6111

battersea 020 7801 3400

020 7840 3700

020 8675 1222

fulham central

fulham south 020 7736 6110

furzedown

tooting

020 7381 7381

020 8769 7900

Cambray Road, SW12

020 8772 7080

£599,950

Located on one of the Hyde Farm Estate’s most sought after roads, this is a very special split level maisonette. On the first floor the property boasts a large reception, double bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.

The converted loft space boasts a further double bedroom and en-suite lavatory.

Access to the private and newly landscaped rear garden is provided by a staircase directly from the eat in kitchen and the flat is presented in super condition.

• Split level • Prime location • En-suite • Landscaped garden • Excellent condition

aspire balham 020 8673 6111 balham@aspire.co.uk

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Fernlea Road, SW12

£625,000

This top floor property is an absolute must see. Fernlea Road is located in the centre of Balham’s hustle and bustle but retains its residential character. The property comprises three double bedrooms, large reception, kitchen, two bathrooms and garden. It is in excellent condition and will make a superb home for buyers from all walks of life.

• Central location.

• Two bathrooms.

• Garden.

• No chain.

• Share of Freehold.

• Recently refurbished.

• Double glazed sash windows.

aspire balham 020 8673 6111 balham@aspire.co.uk

SOUTH WEST LONDON’S LEADING ESTATE AGENT

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.co.uk

06/01/2014 16:54

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09/12/2013 15:57

www.pedderproperty.com

We have a new property of our own In January, we will be opening another new office in West Norwood. This will be our ninth office in South East London, strengthening our already unrivalled coverage of the area.

So if you’re looking to sell, let, rent or buy property in South East London, there’s never been a better time to talk to the local experts.

270 Norwood Road West Norwood London SE27 9AJ Contact 020 8670 7160 to hear about our seriously discounted fees for SE27 properties.

A passion for property Pedder. SE London’s premier agent PEDDER.indd 4

09/12/2013 11:10 15:58 04/12/2013

Let the competition begin Our motivated buyers are ready to race to your door With 14 registered buyers for every property*, the heat is on.

Our Open Views gather Market Ready buyers together to visit your property all at once, each primed and eager to move. This puts you in pole position to get the best price for your property.

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Book your free valuation** today Balham: 020 8675 2244 Battersea: 020 7326 8171 Putney: 020 8780 2233 Southfields: 020 8874 6686 Streatham: 020 8769 7722 *Source: 14 buyers registered per property Andrews, internal figures, November 2013. **Free valuation does not apply to valuations conducted for insurance or mortgage purposes.

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Andrews. Get ahead. andrewsonline.co.uk

07/01/2014 09:28

New to the market � Wardell Mews, SW4  £2,250,000

A

luxury, newly built five-bedroom mews house offering over 3,000 sq ft of living space, beautifully arranged over three floors, including cinema room, decked terrace and gated off street parking.

This superb property has been finished to the highest of standards, offering versatile and luxury living space including under floor heating, solar

powered hot water systems and multi-media functionality throughout (including bathrooms).

Contact

Marsh & Parsons, Clapham 020 7501 3666; marshandparsons.co.uk

Vendor Advice Valuations

Jonathan Loney � Manager of John D Wood & Co., Southfields, 020 8870 8811; johndwood.co.uk

A

lthough commonly called a valuation, realistically the role of the estate agent is to provide you with marketing advice to secure the best sale price for your property. The market itself will establish its value and you will often hear the phrase “it’s worth what someone’s prepared to pay”.

A good estate agent will appraise your home on all its merits including condition and location, and will advise of any areas where improvement could help with its saleability. They will have excellent local market knowledge and be able to show you a thorough marketing strategy including brochures, websites and external media they would use. They should provide good comparable evidence of recent properties they have sold and will be able to show you a price they would recommend asking and the likely offers you should anticipate. Be aware of agents who are unable to provide evidence of their pricing or have not discussed your timescales and position in order to set out an appropriate marketing strategy.

In a seller’s market where estate agents are desperate for stock, be aware that a low fee may look like a saving, but only if they achieve a sale price at the same level as an agent that would perhaps charge slightly higher with much greater marketing and potential for stronger buyers.

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ABSOLUTELY Property

Lowdown for landlords

� Althorp Road, SW17  £750 Per Week

A

light and airy contemporary 3 bedroom Victorian house refurbished to a high standard and located moments from Wandsworth Common. This stunning ho use is approximately 1800 sq ft and is at the end of the terrace. It therefore has secure covered side access to the garden (ideal for bikes and storage). On the ground floor, the front reception room extends to 15’4 wide and its open plan nature allows for views from front to back into the garden creating a huge space. With a protruding wall, this cleverly allows it to be zoned into an obvious contained room serving its purpose as a comfortable sitting/reception room. At the rear the kitchen has flat fronted

wall and floor units with quality fitted machines, there is also a separate utility room and WC. The garden is south west facing and lawned.

The bedrooms are all a good size with plenty of storage. The master bedroom has a luxurious en-suite and there are a further 2 bathrooms.

The house has under floor heating, built in ceiling speakers, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and contemporary lighting, all wired in and ready for use. Available unfurnished.

Contact

Sullivan Thomas, Wandsworth 020 8767 7711; sullivanthomas.co.uk

Lowdown for Landlords The effect of Help to Buy Medleen Brereton �

Lettings Manager of

Edmund Cude, Battersea (Incorporating Bushells) 020 7738 1538; edmundcude.com

I

n the past few months we have seen rental prices stabilize, which ties in with the launch of the Help –to- buy scheme.

Increasingly, a lot more landlords are finding their tenants handing in their notice to vacate the property as they have now bought, many of them through the scheme. With the number of properties coming back on the market increasing, so will the competition to

find high calibre tenants. This then affects the prices as Landlords may be forced to lower them to attract interest.

Fortunately for the Battersea/Clapham area, this well desired part of London is popular for corporate tenants relocating for a few years as well as families who cannot buy in the area who would rather rent to get into the catchment area for the popular schools.

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Christopher Cady, Associate Director

Victorian Home

Superbly extended

p r e m i e r

Rowfant Road, SW17 A beautifully presented late Victorian house situated on a charming residential road. The ground floor comprises a separate front drawing room, central kitchen, a spacious living room at the rear, a cloakroom and access to the cellar. The rear living room overlooks the garden through a set of bi-folding doors enabling the rear of the house to be completely opened up, incorporating the south west facing garden. ÂŁ1,295,000 Freehold

Balham 020 8675 6565

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Balham 020 8675 6565

Earlsfield 020 8971 7070

Wandsworth 020 8875 8899

Battersea 020 7924 2255

Putney Open 2014

Clapham 020 8875 7995

Streatham 020 8677 9900

Wandsworth Common 020 8672 9077

East Dulwich 020 8875 7999

Tooting 020 8767 0522

Wimbledon 020 3195 9111

www.jacksonsestateagents.com

Original features

p r e m i e r

Stunning Kitchen/Breakfast Room Upland Road, SE22 A lovely four/five bedroom period family house with some outstanding original features in one of the most popular residential roads in East Dulwich. The accommodation has spacious rooms throughout and in particular there is a simply stunning kitchen/breakfast room overlooking a landscaped rear garden. The house is also very close to Goodrich and St Anthonys Primary Schools. ÂŁ1,250,000 Freehold

Dulwich 020 8875 7999

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Sophia O’Carroll & Tilly, Sales Manager

Thoughtfully Extended Excellent location

p r e m i e r

Knowsley Road, SW11 A well presented Victorian family home, which has been thoughtfully extended boosting it’s floor area to an impressive one thousand three hundred and twenty four sq ft. The accommodation comprises double reception room, modern kitchen breakfast room with French doors leading out to the garden, master bedroom, two further double bedrooms, a study area that could be used as a fourth bedroom or en-suite, family bathroom, shower room with WC, a roof terrace and a balcony. £980,000 Share of Freehold

Battersea 020 7924 2255

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Balham 020 8675 6565

Earlsfield 020 8971 7070

Wandsworth 020 8875 8899

Battersea 020 7924 2255

Putney Open 2014

Clapham 020 8875 7995

Streatham 020 8677 9900

Wandsworth Common 020 8672 9077

East Dulwich 020 8875 7999

Tooting 020 8767 0522

Wimbledon 020 3195 9111

Contemporary design

www.jacksonsestateagents.com

p r e m i e r

generously proportioned

New Park Road, SW2 Ideally suited for a growing family and providing a superb alternative to the typical two storey Victorian terraces in the area the accommodation offers to the first floor a generous and inviting entrance hall incorporating a useful study area leading to a formal reception with fireplace to the front, and a kitchen/dining room to the rear with french doors opening onto the beautifully landscaped rear garden. ÂŁ975,000 Freehold

Clapham 020 8875 7995

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SO LD

£550,000 SoF Clapham High Street, SW4 • Two bedroom apartment • Finished to a high specification • Two bathrooms • EPC D

SO LD

£490,000 SoF Glycena Road, SW11 • One bedroom period conversion • Great first time purchase • Excellent location • EPC D

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CurrellResidential

£625 - £1,250 per week St George’s, The Tower SW8 • One and two bedroom apartments • 24 Hour Concierge • Full Gym and spa facilities • Adjacent to Vauxhall Underground • Views over River Thames

020 3668 1000

CURRELLS_FEB.indd 3

battersea@currell.com

www.currell.com

07/01/2014 14:11

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Wimbledon Park, SW19 An impressive Edwardian family home, set over three floors, situated in a sought-after residential road with excellent access to Wimbledon Park and tube. The spacious property offers five bedrooms, excellent reception space, garage and a south westerly garden of over 80ft. EPC: E

£1,895,000 Freehold • • • • • •

Period Family Home Semi-Detached Five Bedrooms Garage 80ft. SW Garden Close to Tube

Hamptons Wimbledon Sales. 020 8454 7249

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Wimbledon Town, SW19

£5,500 pcm Unfurnished (charges apply)*

This beautifully presented period property has been refurbished to a high standard and offers an impressive contemporary interior with four/five bedrooms, three bathrooms and two reception rooms. There is off street parking and a lovely rear garden and the house is within easy reach of Wimbledon town centre and the station.

• • • • • •

Hamptons Wimbledon Lettings. 020 8454 7629

HAMPTONS_WIMBLEDON_FEB.indd 3

4/5 bedrooms 3 bathrooms 2 Reception Rooms Utility Room Guest Cloakroom Off Street Parking

*Tenant Charges: Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges

08/01/2014 20:52

Lyford Road, SW18 | Price on application Arranged over four floors, this delightful home has elegantly proportioned rooms throughout, including an exceptional basement conversion. With a large south west facing garden and being conveniently situated on the doorstep of Wandsworth Common makes this an ideal family home.

Entrance hall | Kitchen | Dining/family room | Double reception room Play room | Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom | Five further bedrooms Two further bathrooms | Shower room | Utility room | Store room | W.C | 70ft south west facing garden | EPC Rating: C | 3637sq ft (338 sq m)

rymer-irens.com

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Cloudesdale Road, SW17 | ÂŁ1,350,000 Freehold Entrance hall | Reception room | Extended kitchen/dining room | Large cellar (currently used as a Play Room) | Ground floor W.C. | Utility room | Four double bedrooms (one en suite) | Family bathroom with separate walk-in shower | West facing garden | EPC Rating: D | 2059 sq ft (191 sq m)

Forming part of an attractive terrace, this four double bedroom Victorian family house is beautifully presented throughout and benefits from an extremely smart extended kitchen.

Burntwood Close, SW18 | ÂŁ1,600,000 Freehold This immaculately presented five double bedroom house offers bright and spacious accommodation throughout along with five double bedrooms and a lovely south west facing garden.

Entrance hall | Sitting room | Kitchen/dining/family room | Office | Five double bedrooms (one en suite) | Family Bathroom | Guest W.C. | South/west facing rear garden with raised decked terrace | Front garden with off street parking | EPC Rating: D | 2090 sq ft (194 sq m)

34 Bellevue Road London SW17 7EF

89 Nightingale Lane London SW12 8NX

020 8767 2222

020 8045 8989

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Balham Park Road, SW12 | ÂŁ4,250,000 Freehold Strikingly elegant, this double fronted Victorian family home has six bedrooms, fantastic living space and beautifully proportioned accommodation throughout. Situated on one of the most sought after roads in the area it is moments from Wandsworth Common and the fashionable Bellevue Road.

Wide entrance hall | Drawing room | Dining room | Play room | Study | Bespoke kitchen | Cinema room | Master bedroom with en-suite marble bathroom | Guest bedroom with en-suite bathroom | Four further double bedrooms | Two further bath/shower rooms | Guest cloakroom | Utility room | South facing landscaped garden | EPC Rating: F | 4,187 sq ft (389 sq m)

rymer-irens.com

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Wandle Road, SW17 | ÂŁ2,500,000 Freehold Entrance hall | Impressive drawing room | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast/ family room | Master bedroom with en suite bathroom & walk-in dressing room | Four further bedrooms | Two further bathrooms (one of which is en suite) | Shower room | Cloakroom | Laundry room | Large boarded attic 94ft south facing garden | EPC Rating: E | 2978 sq ft (277 sq m)

This wonderful four storey Victorian family home benefits from five good sized bedrooms, including a fabulous master suite, and boasts excellent entertaining space arranged over two floors.

Lyford Road, SW18 | ÂŁ3,300,000 Freehold An imposing and wonderfully extended semi-detached family home offering six double bedrooms, an exceptional basement conversion along with a 70ft south west facing garden and off street parking.

Entrance hall | Kitchen/dining/family room | Double reception room | Media room | Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom | Five further bedrooms | Two further bathrooms | Shower room | Second kitchen/utility room | Store room | Guest cloakroom | 70ft south west facing garden | Off street parking | EPC Rating: E | 3697sq ft (344 sq m)

34 Bellevue Road London SW17 7EF

89 Nightingale Lane London SW12 8NX

020 8767 2222

020 8045 8989

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Living The DREAM The most luxuriously appointed properties on the market.

Adderley Grove, SW11 | £1,650,000 Freehold This beautifully extended and designed 4/5 bed Victorian “semi” has a smart contemporary kitchen extension, spacious loft conversion and an enviable master bedroom with dressing and shower rooms en suite. It enjoys a very light aspect, handy side access to the garden and a wonderfully quiet location close to the numerous schools between the commons, fashionable Northcote Road and Clapham South tube for fast access to The City/West End. John Thorogood | 020 7228 7474; john-thorogood.co.uk

Cathles Road, SW12 Guide Price £1,050,000 This charming four bedroom house which has been tastefully extended by the current owners offers a superb balance between the bedrooms and living accommodation, and has retained a wealth of period features.

John D Wood & Co., Clapham | 020 8673 2854; johndwood.co.uk

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ABSOLUTELY Property

Sistova Road, SW12 £1,175,000

House Hunting

|

This beautiful five-bedroom Victorian house is the kind of property that becomes available only too rarely. A much loved home for many years, it is a house full of character, warmth and charm. Beautiful period features include a marble fireplace, cornicing and arched doors.

Andrews, Balham | 020 8675 2244; andrewsonline.co.uk

Palmerston Road, SW19 £875,000 Freehold A delightful bright and airy four bedroom Victorian end of terrace family home in the very popular ‘Ministers’ area on Palmerston Road, which has been sympathetically modernised to a very high standard throughout by the current vendor.

Jacksons, Wimbledon | 020 3195 9111; jacksonsestateagents.com

Simon Moss

Sales Manager at Lauristons, Putney � 020 8780 8780; lauristons.com

1. The most satisfying transaction I’ve had...

Within a week of joining Lauristons, I received instruction on a beautiful house in Fawe Park Road and agreed the sale at the asking price.

2. The most interesting property I’ve been involved with…Would have to be a converted printworks in Kennington. This unusual property retained many of the previous industrial features such as magnificent steel beams - perfect for modern city living.

3. The property I’d most like on our books is…..

A certain stucco-fronted period house in leafy West Putney owned by a very well-known politician.

Patience Road, SW11 | £1,150,000 A stunning four bedroom Victorian family house, which has been refurbished throughout to an excellent standard. Situated in the popular Little India, it is ideally located for transport links and the open spaces of Battersea Park. aspire, Battersea | 020 7801 3400; aspire.co.uk

4. The most unusual interior…

Would be a property where the vendor removed her bathroom suite in favour of installing the bathtub in the large bay window of her bedroom at the front of the house!

5. I never thought I’d see…

A vendor withdraw from a sale at the point of exchange only for my team to agree the sale at a figure 12% higher the following day.

Spotlight on SW11: Average asking price -£1,121,870Average asking rents -£2,446 pcmAverage property value - £703,479

Data provided by

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EXCLUSIVE, HD FILMS FOR EVERY PROPERTY

@JTEstateAgents

john-thorogood.co.uk | 020 7228 7474 | info@john-thorogood.co.uk | 140 Northcote Road SW11 6QZ

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08/01/2014 15:46

FOR SALE

Asquith Villas,

Spencer Park, SW18 Guide Price for Villas 1, 2 & 3 - £4.95m | FREEHOLD (Villa 4 not yet released) - Joint Sole Agents - Savills One of four exceptional new homes that combine a ‘state of the art’ finish with a classical and contemporary exterior in one of the most exclusive locations south of the River. Each offers approximately 4600 square feet of refined family living space, private gated parking, a large landscaped garden and direct access into glorious Spencer Park, (just under four acres of privately owned and managed parkland).

• Access to Spencer Park (3.8 acre private park) • Gated Off-Street Parking • Drawing Room • Study • Kitchen/Dining Room • Family/Media/Games Room • Utility Room

EXCLUSIVE, HD FILMS FOR EVERY PROPERTY

• Cloakroom/WC • Plant Room • 6 Double Bedrooms • Dressing Room • 5 Bathrooms (4 En Suite) • Large Garden • 3 Terraces

@JTEstateAgents I N N O VA T I O N

SINCE 1991 INTEGRITY

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08/01/2014 15:46

FOR SALE

Adderley Grove

Between the Commons SW11 £1,650,000 | FREEHOLD This beautifully extended and designed 4/5 bed Victorian “semi” has a smart contemporary kitchen extension, spacious loft conversion and an enviable master bedroom with dressing and shower rooms en suite. It enjoys a very light aspect, handy side access to the garden and a wonderfully quiet location close to schools, fashionable Northcote Road and tube access to The City/West End.

• Side Access • Entrance Hall • Double Reception Room • Kitchen/Family Room • Cloakroom/WC • Cellar • Garden

• Master Bedroom Suite • 4 Double Bedrooms • Study/Bedroom 5 • 3 Bath/Shower Rooms • Eaves Storage • 1920 SQ.FT/ 178.2 SQ.M

EXCLUSIVE, HD FILMS FOR EVERY PROPERTY

@JTEstateAgents

john-thorogood.co.uk | 020 7228 7474 | info@john-thorogood.co.uk | 140 Northcote Road SW11 6QZ

JOHN THOROGOOD_FEB.indd 4

08/01/2014 15:47

FOR SALE

Alderbrook Road

Nightingale Triangle SW12 £1,650,000 | FREEHOLD A wide and imposing 3-storey Victorian house with sunny southwest-facing garden, a wealth of original features and great scope for extension into loft, side return and basement. Very close to Clapham South tube, Balham mainline, the edge of Clapham Common and excellent schools. EPC - E

• Wide Hall • Drawing Room • Dining Room • Kitchen/Breakfast Room • Cellar • Cloakroom/WC

EXCLUSIVE, HD FILMS FOR EVERY PROPERTY

• West-facing Garden • 5 Bedrooms • 3 Bath/Shower Rooms • Unconverted Loft • 2581 SQ.FT/ 238 SQ.M + eaves

@JTEstateAgents I N N O VA T I O N

SINCE 1991 INTEGRITY

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Honeywell Road Between The Commons SW11 £1800 | PER WEEK FEES APPLY Detached, double-fronted and spectacularly designed, this substantial Victorian property has been transformed into a magnificent six-bedroom home for the modern family. It’s positioned just off fashionable Northcote Road on this highly prized stretch of road by Wandsworth Common, close to excellent schools (including ever-popular Honeywell and Belleville) and good transport links. EPC – E

• Gated Front Garden • 3 Reception Rooms • Ground Floor Study • Cloakroom/WC • Double-Height Glass Extension • Kitchen/Dining/Living Room • Utility Room

• 37’ x 32’ Rear Garden • 6 Bedrooms • 3 Bath/Shower Rooms • Dressing Room • LB Wandsworth • Residents’ Parking • 3336 SQ.FT/ 310 SQ.M (inc VOID & Storage)

• Double Reception Room • Kitchen/Family Room • Wrap-around Kitchen Extension • Walled Garden • Guest WC • Master Bedroom

• Large En-Suite Bath/Shower Room • 4 Double Bedrooms • Study/Bedroom 5 • 2 Further Bath/Shower Room/WCs • Cellar • 2074 SQ.FT/192.6 SQ.M + Storage • Available immediately

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Montholme Road Between The Commons SW11 £1,000 | PER WEEK

FEES APPLY

This exceptional 4/5 bedroom Victorian property (2074 SQ.FT) has been meticulously designed and extended to a first-class standard and provides luxury in all areas. Highlights include three contemporary bath/shower rooms, a beautiful kitchen/family room with folding doors to a lovely walled garden. The property is close to fashionable Northcote Road, excellent train/tube links and the highly sought-after state schools, Honeywell and Bolingbroke Academy. EPC - D

EXCLUSIVE, HD FILMS FOR EVERY PROPERTY

@JTEstateAgents

john-thorogood.co.uk | 020 7228 7474 | info@john-thorogood.co.uk | 140 Northcote Road SW11 6QZ

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Mallinson Road Between the Commons SW11 £895 | PER WEEK FEES APPLY This stylish Victorian townhouse with a consistent contemporary finish from top to toe has a super-convenient location directly between fashionable Northcote road and exclusive Wandsworth Common and less than half a mile from Clapham Junction. With an elegant exterior and an interior it enjoys a practical layout to include 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and wonderfully light-open-plan living space.

Available to let now, unfurnished. EPC - D

• Double Reception Room • 4 Double Bedrooms • Extended Kitchen/fam Rm • Large Family Bathroom

• Shower Room/Wc • South-Facing Garden • 1764 Sq Ft/163.8 Sq M • Available Now

FOR SALE/TO LET

Calbourne Road Nightingale Triangle SW12 £1,325,000 | FREEHOLD | £795 | PER WEEK Beautifully renovated and extended 4 bedroom family house, with light, open-plan living areas and south-facing garden, in a lovely residential street convenient for transport and shopping facilities at Balham and Bellevue Road. Moments from Wandsworth Common Station. EPC - D

• Open-plan Double Reception • Extended Kitchen/Family Room • 4 Bedrooms • 2 Baths/Showers • Master Bedroom

EXCLUSIVE, HD FILMS FOR EVERY PROPERTY

• 2 Dressing Rooms • South-Facing Garden • Cellar • 1571 Sq Ft / 146 Sq M • Available Immediately

@JTEstateAgents I N N O VA T I O N

SINCE 1991 INTEGRITY

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Sales

£2,950,000 - £2,500,000 Freehold Upper Richmond Road SW15

Coming soon - three new luxury homes on the Upper Richmond Road. These contemporary developments will offer luxury living in a highly sought-after area.

4/5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms, Kitchen/family room, Gym, Balcony, Garden.

West Putney Sales 020 8785 6666 | wputneysales@dng.co.uk

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Sales

douglasandgordon.com

ÂŁ1,800,000 Freehold Grandison Road SW11

Boasting a developed basement this immaculately presented, stylish, five bedroom mid terrace Victorian family home is situated on this popular road 'Between the Commons'.

5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Double reception room, Kitchen/breakfast room, Family/playroom, Gymnasium, Garden, Developed basement, Utility room, EPC: C.

Battersea Sales 020 7924 2000 | battsales@dng.co.uk

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Sales

ÂŁ1,700,000 Freehold Langside Avenue SW15

A fantastic semi-detached six bedroom family house with a lovely private garden on this popular and sought-after road.

6 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), 2 reception rooms, Kitchen/dining room, Garden, EPC: C.

Boasting a prime position on one of the most popular roads 'Between the Commons' this larger than average mid-terrace Victorian family house has the advantage of a large south-facing garden.

5 double bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (1 en-suite), Double reception room, Kitchen/breakfast room, Cellar, Large south-facing garden, EPC: F.

West Putney Sales 020 8785 6666 | wputneysales@dng.co.uk

ÂŁ1,550,000 Freehold Culmstock Road SW11 Battersea Sales 020 7924 2000 | battsales@dng.co.uk

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Sales

douglasandgordon.com

ÂŁ1,250,000 Leasehold Clove Hitch Quay SW11

Stretching to over 1,500 sq.ft and with breathtaking views across the river, this split-level apartment is a must-see.

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), Reception room, Kitchen/breakfast room, Roof terrace, EPC: C.

A wonderful, three bedroom home located within the Abbeville Village. Surrounded by garden on three sides, this house benefits from a rural feel and is very private.

Master bedroom with en-suite, 2 further bedrooms, Family bathroom, Cloakroom, Kitchen/family room, Reception room, Study/music studio, Garden, Patio, EPC: D.

Battersea Park Sales 020 7720 8077 | battpksales@dng.co.uk

ÂŁ1,150,000 Freehold Trouville Road SW4 Clapham Southside Sales 020 8675 4400 | clapsthsales@dng.co.uk

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Lettings

ÂŁ842 per week Unfurnished Rotherwood Road SW15

Situated on a peaceful road in the heart of West Putney, this fantastic house offers spacious accommodation throughout.

4 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Double reception room, Eat-in kitchen, Cellar, EPC: D.

A beautifully presented five bedroom house on this popular street in the Southfields Grid within a couple of minutes walk of Southfields village and underground station.

5 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Double reception room, Kitchen, Garden with studio room for gym/home office, Cloakroom, EPC: D.

Putney Lettings 020 8788 3333 | putneylets@dng.co.uk

ÂŁ669 per week Unfurnished Clonmore Street SW18 Southfields Lettings 020 8874 8844 | sthfldslets@dng.co.uk

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Lettings

douglasandgordon.com

£560 per week Furnished Hambalt Road SW4

A beautifully presented three bedroom maisonette that has been refurbished to a very high standard throughout.

2 double bedrooms, Single bedroom/study, 2 bathrooms, Reception room, Kitchen/breakfast room, Roof terrace, EPC: D.

A light and spacious well-presented two double bedroom, split-level apartment ideally located close to the shops and restaurants on Northcote Road.

2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Open-plan kitchen/reception room, Roof terrace, EPC: D.

Clapham Southside Lettings 020 8675 0888 | clapsthlets@dng.co.uk

£495 per week Part Furnished/Unfurnished Northcote Road SW11 Battersea Lettings 020 7924 2002 | battlets@dng.co.uk

Douglas & Gordon will charge an initial one off tenancy agreement fee of £240 per tenancy and an individual tenant reference fee of £45 per tenant. For further details please go to www.dng.co.uk/fees

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Click with us at jacksonsestateagents.com

Lloyd Noblett, Sales Manager

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