THE PORTMAN

Joshua Reynolds portraits as you’ve never seen them before

Spring 2015

Living on and around The Portman Estate

5 contents

7 As told to

PHOTO: THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON

SEE PAGE 16

Extraordinary eggs Pioneer aviator duckings, musical rabbits and more

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Striking sculpture at Marble Arch, David Bailey on Chiltern Street, and the return of Locatelli

Literary trail Follow in the footsteps of Victorian novelists, nonsense rhymers and Bertie Wooster

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Joshua Reynolds The experimental side of the great portrait painter

Smarter Giving How Baker Street Quarter Partnership helps local businesses help local communities

Arts

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Literature The Portman is a regular journal about life on and around The Portman Estate Editor Lorna Davies Writers Lorna Davies Kate McAuley Cally Squires Debbie Ward Sub-editor Gail Novelle Designer Andy Lowe Publisher The Portman Estate

My dear Holmes Local resident Stephen Lees on his Sherlock tribute novels

Advertising Caroline Warrick 020 7259 1051 [email protected]

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Bridget Rodricks 020 7259 1059 [email protected]

Extra special Imaginative gift deas from local businesses

Katie Thomas 020 7250 1053 [email protected]

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Mum’s day

Business Send information to The Portman Publishing Business 3 Princes Street London W1B 2LD 020 7259 1050 www.pubbiz.com Printed in the UK © Publishing Business Limited 2015

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Easter

Cara Cumming talks about helping clients unwind at West One beauty salon

Happenings

COVER: JOSHUA REYNOLDS, MRS MARY ROBINSON (DETAIL), º© THE WALLACE COLLECTION

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No sweat Working out is the new networking opportunity

Walk

Baker Street

7 as told to

Stress free sanctuary

“

I’VE BEEN AT WEST ONE for two years, and in the industry for 17 years – which is quite scary to think about! The best thing about the job is meeting different people, and especially giving people who have stressful lives and jobs an opportunity to unwind. It is wonderful to see them leaving happy, and to make someone feel better about themselves. Working weekends and late nights doesn’t bother me now, because I’m so used to it. It definitely comes with the territory though, and it’s one of the things that you get educated about at beauty college, so it doesn’t come as a surprise. I normally get up around 6.30am because I live in Epping, which is quite a long commute. I make sure I do my hair and make-up before I leave, and when I get in to the salon around 9am I’ll check our messages and prepare the treatment rooms for the other girls. Every day here is different, and it can change as the day progresses. But my job is to make sure all the clients leave happy. At lunchtime I might go shopping in the local area, which is great for buying gifts. After work I often go for drinks at Bok Bar and to

West One beauty salon manager Cara Cumming enjoys helping clients relax, and supporting other local firms, she tells Cally Squires

8 as told to

Chiltern Street is really like a little village in the middle of the city

dinner at Hardy’s – we’re very friendly with the owner Dominique. I really believe it’s important to support local businesses. You can go to a chain restaurant any time but what’s great about Chiltern Street is that it is really like a little village in the middle of the city. The opening of the Chiltern Firehouse has been good for business, they’ve attracted a much more trendy type of clientele. People on Oxford Street are definitely curious to stroll down here now and take a look, whereas five or six years ago there was less footfall on the street. The majority of our customers are still local residents though, plus a lot of local workers on weekdays. They come from all sorts of backgrounds, from artists to musicians to teachers – but they are all really interesting people. Our customers are very loyal, which I hope reflects the service that we give. I still do treatments, but not as many as I used to. I want to be involved in the hands-on side of the business, as well as the managerial side, and luckily I have a group of regular clients whom I make sure I see for facials and waxing. Before I joined West One I freelanced as a make-up artist with a friend of mine who was a hairdresser. It was fun doing lots of weddings, but I really missed being in a salon environment, there is a real team atmosphere here. The salon has been around for about 12 years, and when I took over from the previous manager I didn’t make too many changes. Our clients don’t like too much change, they want to know they can come in and receive the same level of service. Our most popular treatments are the Karin Herzog oxygen facials. I heard that Kate Middleton uses the brand’s products, which is a big selling point. We normally close at 7pm, but if a client wants to come later we stay open until 8pm later in the week. West One Beauty is at 60 Chiltern Street Info: 020 7486 1415, www.westonebeauty.co.uk

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10 happenings

Marble Arch is getting leafier

stone oven sets new menu sizzling

A GiAnT LeAF sculpture by British artist Lee simmons is set to take a starring role in marble Arch. called Circadian Tongues, the installation will feature five stems up to 20 metres long, each with coloured leaves, and will be illuminated at night. “i am incredibly honoured to have been asked to create the art for such a pivotal area of London,” says simmons. “marble Arch is undoubtedly one of the focal points of the capital and to have my art as part of the development is such an exciting opportunity. “my idea is focused on capturing a snapshot or passage of time that occurs within the natural world. i hope to create a moment of contemplation through my art, helping to connect the architecture with the natural beauty of the royal park across the road.” The artwork is part of developer Almacantar’s plan to redevelop marble Arch Tower, replacing it with a residential building, an office building and enhanced retail. The plans, approved by Westminster city council in February, include a multi-screen Odeon cinema

HunTer 486, the restaurant within boutique hotel The Arch London, has launched a new best of British menu. Hearty dishes include salad of crispy oxtail with cream of horseradish;

and retail space. The affordable housing element of the scheme will be provided at 466-490 edgware road, where Almacantar is also developing a new mixed tenure housing and retail scheme. construction work is due to start later this year. info: www.lee-simmons.com

Yuji’s turn at Carousel AmericAn-JApAnese chef Yuji Haraguchi, famed for his new York restaurant Yuji ramen, is joining the team at carousel from April 1-11 as part of the Blandford street restaurant’s “carousel presents…” series of guest chefs. The 50-cover restaurant has played host to several of the world’s best up-andcoming culinary talents, each cooking alongside carousel’s resident chef and co-founder Ollie Templeton. Templeton will work with Haraguchi to create a set lunch (from £15 per person) and four- to five-course dinner menu (£35), paired with wine. Guest chefs are picked by Templeton and the team for their innovative style and international appeal. reservations can be made by visiting www.carousel-london.com or by calling 020 7487 5564. carousel, 71 Blandford street

potted duck with fruit chutney and sourdough; peppered loin of venison with beetroot puree, turnip and potato gratin; homemade hamburger with onion marmalade in a brioche bun and hand cut chips; and sticky toffee pudding with caramelised banana ice cream. The new menu was developed by head chef Gary Durrant with the help of award-winning food writer, broadcaster and consultant Henrietta Green. A stone oven is the crowning glory of the menu. The restaurant says that because it operates at a very high heat, dishes such as roast norfolk black free range chicken are cooked to tender perfection. Hunter 486 at The Arch London, 50 Great cumberland place. info: 020 7724 4700, www.thearchlondon.com

see art by saddam’s doctor An ArTisT who was once part of saddam Hussein’s medical team is showing his work at Hay Hill Gallery. Opening on march 30, Ala Bashir: Memories of Chairs, presents works made by Bashir during his time with Hussein, as both his physician and reluctant confidant. The resultant works are given disturbing context by saddam’s remark that they would be “a record of iraq at (that) point in history”. Bashir was born in iraq in 1939, 18 years after his country declared independence from Britain. His style is easily comparable with that of the surrealists, yet these nightmarish visions are not dreams – they depict the very real suffering he was witnessing daily. unexpected directions in style often make his work difficult to decipher, while recurring signs such as the raven and the mask draw directly from traditional iraqi imagery. Having formerly pioneered techniques for reattaching severed hands, this artist-surgeon now attempts to reconnect the eyes with the heart. march 30-may 2 at Hay Hill Gallery, 35 Baker street. info: 020 7486 6006, www.hayhill.com

AlA BAshir, WAiting ChAir. iMAge CourtesY hAY hill gAllerY

12 happenings

luxury is David Bailey in the lobby renOWneD pHOTOGrApHer David Bailey is adding his artistry to a luxury development on chiltern street. The “Lobby by David Bailey” in The chilterns will feature an exclusive display of large-scale photographic prints of regent’s park by the 77-year-old fashion and portrait photographer. The gallery-style entrance is part of Frogmore & Galliard Homes’ premier apartments and penthouses at 74-76 chiltern street. Designed by architects squire & partners, the six residences include large private roof gardens or balconies. The largest penthouse is £25 million, comes with its own wine cave (stocked with £100,000 worth of champagne and wine) and has the

largest roof garden in the West end. Lifestyle facilities will include a signature restaurant with the option of in-room chef and dining; private gymnasium and sauna; private cinema; 21 basement wine cellars with a wine tasting room; underground parking with valet; and 24-hour hotel style concierge. Bailey has also taken 44 specially commissioned limited edition prints of the marylebone area which have been published as a book. each owner of an apartment at The chilterns will be given a framed original print from this series, together with a copy of the book. info: 020 8418 1070, www.ThechilternsW1.com

local primary school tops national league tables HAmpDen GurneY church of england primary school came joint first in the primary school league tables released in December. The nutford place school, rated outstanding by Ofsted, was the only school in Westminster in the top 10, taking first place along with newton Farm nursery in Harrow and st Faith’s c of e primary school in Hampshire. The small voluntary aided school was the best performing faith school, with some 85 per cent of pupils achieving the more advanced standard – level 5 – which is typically expected of children in the first few years of secondary education. The borough of Westminster came sixth regionally, with 86 per cent of pupils achieving level 4 in maths, reading and writing. info: www.hampdengurneyschool.org.uk

souk comes to Marylebone

gail’s brings treats to you GAiL’s ArTisAn BAkerY is bringing baked treats into the boardroom, offering a delivery service to offices across central London. customers will be able to enjoy Gail’s sandwiches, salads, cakes and pastries, freshly made at seymour place, at their desks. Available monday to Friday from 7.30am-5pm. Gail’s, 4 seymour place. info: www.gailsdelivery.co.uk

THe LOnDOn AnTique rug and Textile Art Fair is coming to marylebone. This celebration of colour and design, the uk’s only event for rug and textile collectors, attracts exhibitors from persia, india, china, central Asia, Anatolia and the caucasus as well as europe and Africa.  Works are of all periods up to the early 20th century and range in price from £500 to over £25,000. The boutique event wil be presented in a souk-like setting with rugs, runners, embroideries, tapestries, kilims, decorative textiles and tribal artefacts such as woven baskets and bead-work. An online fair featuring each of the 12 exhibitors runs alongside the main fair. The London Antique rug and Textile Art Fair is at The showroom, off church street, April 16-19. info: www.larta.net AnAtoliAn KiliM, froM KonYAnigDe, MiD-C19th. froM KenneDY CArpets

15 happenings

LOcAnDA LOcATeLLi is reopening on march 14 after a four-month closure. The restaurant temporarily shut its doors in november after a gas explosion in the basement of the Hyatt regency London – The churchill hotel. Guests will be welcomed back to plaxy and Giorgio Locatelli’s michelinstarred italian, which launched in 2002, to enjoy dishes such as fillet of wild sea bass in salt and herb crust, escarole and green salad; slow cooked suckling pig; and banana and marron glacé “millefoglie” with banana and walnut ice cream. Locanda Locatelli, 8 seymour street. info: 020 7935 9088, www.locandalocatelli.com

locatelli returns

Minimalism that packs maximum punch THe LissOn GALLerY is presenting a new body of work by Lee ufan, a founding member of the Japanese monoha and korean Dansaekhwa groups of the late 1960s and early ’70s – both important art movements which have only relatively recently been feted by major shows in the West. Although his practice is widely regarded as minimalist, Lee believes in utilising an

this egg’s got your name on it siXTYOne restaurant will be selling hand-made easter eggs over easter weekend (April 3-6), and with a day’s notice they can personalise the chocolate creations with a message or name. John Grantham, the restaurant’s master chocolatier, will be also be creating what sixtyone describes as a unique and delicious kinder Bueno easter egg-inspired dessert. 61 upper Berkeley street. info: 020 7958 3222, www.sixtyonerestaurant.co.uk

economy of gesture or representation in search of the maximum possible effect or resonance. His most recent series of Dialogue paintings and watercolours are composed of sweeps of paint, built up over an extended period of time by an accretion of smaller strokes. Lee ufan is at Lisson Gallery, 27 Bell street, march 25-may 9. info: 020 7724 2739, www.lissongallery.com

16 art

Modern eyes observing Reynolds’s portraits of Georgian society tend to miss what an experimental and innovative artist he was. A new exhibition at the Wallace Collection is intended to set the record straight, as Lorna Davies reports

JoshuA ReynoLDs is often regarded as an establishment artist. The english painter, collector and writer, who was the first president of the Royal Academy, is credited with transforming early Georgian portraiture by greatly enlarging its range, but his unquenchable thirst for innovation in both method and materials is sometimes overlooked. Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint, which has just opened at the Wallace Collection, is set to debunk traditional perceptions of Reynolds, revealing an experimental, influential artist. “It’s looking at the way he was working as a painter and the materials he was using, but also exploring his way of working with sitters to develop imagery that suited their position,” says Alexandra Gent, paintings conservator for the Reynolds Research Project and co-curator of the exhibition. The show, which runs until June 7, reveals discoveries made during a four-year research project involving the 12 Reynolds paintings in the Wallace Collection. The exhibition, which is supported by the Paul Mellon Centre for studies

New perspective on Joshua Reynolds

ABOVE: JOSHUA REYNOLDS, MRS MARY ROBINSON, 1783-4, © THE WALLACE COLLECTION, PHOTO: THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON

LEFT: JOSHUA REYNOLDS, SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS, C. 1747-49, © NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON

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“It’s been a real privilege to work on these paintings, they’re a really wonderful group of paintings by Reynolds.” Alexandra Gent

JOSHUA REYNOLDS, MISS NELLY O’BRIEN, C.1762 - C.1764, © THE WALLACE COLLECTION, PHOTO: THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON

in British Art, The european Fine Art Fair (TeFAF), the hertford house Trust, various private donors, the national Gallery and the yale Center for British Art in new haven, Connecticut, spans most of Reynolds’s career and includes portraits, “fancy” pictures and history painting. one of the rare sights to be found at the show is a portrait of Mrs Mary Robinson (1783-4), alongside a sketch of the portrait which is usually housed in the Paul Mellon Centre. “showing the two side by side, we can see the way he was using more than one version to develop the image,” Gent explains. An x-ray of the picture showed that he lowered Mrs Robinson’s arm so that the view of the sea was more prominent. “so the show explores the different ways he was working in order to develop more imaginative compositions for the sitters.” Reynolds (1723-1792) often painted his subjects in poses based on the old Masters or antique sculpture. This was intended to invoke classical values and to enhance the dignity of his sitters. Reynolds’s portraits not only depicted the colourful society in which he lived, ranging from the actress Mrs Abington to the scandalous Kitty Fisher and the “social climber” Mrs nesbitt, but were often the product of a collaborative relationship between artist and sitter. Reynolds explored the possibilities of performance and role play with the sitters, while drawing on their colourful lives to ‘personalise’ their portraiture.   “one of the things about Reynolds, and the reason it was started as a research project, is that his painting technique is quite notorious amongst conservators as being tricky to deal with,” Gent reveals. “so to have a really good understanding of the way the paintings had been made and constructed and what materials had been used was really important to make informed decisions about which paintings to treat. The paintings as a group hadn’t been restored for a very long time, a few of them had had minor treatments but none of them had really been cleaned since they’d entered the Wallace Collection in the mid-19th century.” Instead of just using straightforward paints, Reynolds used to mix other things – including resin, mastic and wax – into his oil paint to alter its handling and to try to mimic the effects of the old Master paintings. “Although Reynolds is notorious for using wax, we only found wax in small amounts on

JOSHUA REYNOLDS, LADY ELIZABETH SEYMOURCONWAY, 1781, © THE WALLACE COLLECTION,

paintings,” says Gent. “The portrait of Miss Jane Bowles appears to have a varnish layer on it that is made from wax, and we think that this is original and really interesting to see Reynolds use as a varnish layer.” The works are hanging in the West Room of the Wallace Collection, together with Gainsborough’s depiction of Mrs Robinson. The 17-year-old Prince of Wales, later George IV, became infatuated with Mrs Robinson in 1779 on seeing her as Perdita in The Winter’s Tale at the Drury Lane Theatre. “Perdita”, as she was thereafter nicknamed, became his first mistress. other celebrated works by Reynolds here include Nelly O’Brien (1762-1764), Mrs Abington as Miss Prue (1771) and his Self Portrait Shading the Eyes (1747-1749), as well as experimental studies. “It’s been a real privilege to work on these paintings, they’re a really wonderful group of paintings by Reynolds,” Gent adds. These artworks, combined with the hidden stories behind them, archive resources and x-ray images, demonstrate the diversity of Reynolds’s artistic production and his highly original approach to image-making, composition and narrative, prompting us to review opinions and perceptions of this truly experimental artist. The Wallace Collection, hertford house, Manchester square. www.wallacecollection.org

PHOTO: THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON

JOSHUA REYNOLDS, FRANCES, COUNTESS OF LINCOLN, 1781-2, © THE WALLACE COLLECTION, PHOTO: THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON

20 literature

Further adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Local author Stephen Lees moved to Seymour Place because it’s the “dead centre of London,” but his Sherlock Holmes tribute novels make Marylebone an even more appropriate home for him, as Debbie Ward discovers

LIKE MANY ARRIVALS from overseas who’ve grown up on old British books and films, Boston-born writer Stephen Lees was surprised to find blue skies when his family arrived in London. It was the Sherlock Homes novels he read in childhood English lessons that were to blame. “I used to think, three thousand miles to the West was England and London, this huge Victorian city, fogbound. I found that fascinating,” he says. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books not only influenced Lees’ ideas of the capital that became his home, they ultimately inspired him to write a series of tribute novels, all based in and around The Portman Estate. The author’s intersection with Holmes’ world continued when he obtained his first mortgage with Abbey National and visited its 221b Baker Street headquarters, where he learned that a clerk was employed to answer letters to the fictional detective. Lees later moved nearby to his current home in Seymour Place. His favourite jaunts around the area include walking through Paddington Street Gardens and visiting the Wallace Collection, but he claims the location was coincidental: “I worked out the dead centre of London; I’m not a big fan of the countryside!” Trained as a barrister, Lees now works as a legal advisor, with construction among his specialisms. This sphere of interest drove him to write nonfiction book Visions of Architecture. The anniversary of the Titanic tragedy, however, got him thinking along fictional lines: what if the sinking had not been an accident? A detective mystery starring

Holmes and Watson called The Iron Mausoleum resulted and the titular theme continued with The Iron Vault, The Iron Soul, The Iron Titan and The Iron Metropolis. Being a law man, Lees made sure he got permission to use the Holmes characters before publication. In fact, each of his books had to be scrutinised by the Conan Doyle estate. Though he aims “to be novel in the full sense of the word” he strove for authenticity in recreating Holmes’ world, wanting his books to seem as if they “were found in some trunk”. He wrote in Victorian/Edwardian language, “For instance,” he explains, “in the originals, Holmes says Moriarty ‘wants to avenge

22 literature

ONE OF STEPHEN LEES’ DRAWINGS OF THE CUMBERLAND HOTEL

himself upon my person’ … I’ve used that.” He’s even included an archaic use of the umlaut. The books contain footnotes to explain historical points. The series sells best among US Anglophiles and Lees has retained some literary links to the country with, for instance, a visit by Holmes and

Watson to Pittsburgh – the one-time seat of captains of industry. He is not keen on the “flights of fancy” taken by the Sherlock TV series starring Benedict Cumberbatch or the 2009 Jude Law film. He does admit a few character tweaks, though: “I do give Watson a bit more power; he’s not quite the lapdog… and I do bring out the misogynistic side of Holmes in relation to Mrs Hudson.” But, he adds, “fans of Holmes should like my books” and he says correspondence has been largely positive. Of course the smog that fascinated the schoolboy Lees also remains: “There was one real fog that kicked off in November and didn’t disperse until January,” he marvels. “Fog hides… it conceals. In one book I get Watson to cross the Marylebone Road in smog and he nearly gets knocked down.” Local pubs that get namechecked in the novels include the Barley Mow in Dorset Street and the Royal Exchange in Sale Place. An original dimension of Lees’ novels is the inclusion of architectural drawings, for which he has something of a passion. “My father was a civil engineer, so from a fairly early age I was exposed to what they called blueprints,’ he explains. Fifty of Lees’ original architectural drawings were exhibited in various venues including Marble Arch Tower a few years ago, before being auctioned off in Bond Street. His novels also contain architectural descriptions and plot points – for instance

25 literature

“I want my Sherlock Holmes novels to seem as if they were found in some trunk”

a protuberance he noticed in a building on Harley Street led him to create a fictional false ceiling, while an iron vault in a tunnel at Park Crescent became a gentlemen’s club. The underground postal railway that once ran near Madame Tussauds features, there’s a description of Seymour Buildings in Seymour Place and, in the wider area, an appearance from Marylebone Burial Ground. Holmes’ address of 221b Baker Street did not exist in the real world in Conan Doyle’s time but, says Lees, the building he would have had in mind would be on The Portman Estate: “According to the author, he [Holmes] would have resided on the north-west corner of Baker St and Dorset above what is now the NatWest bank. This fact is described in the The Adventure of the Empty House when a marksman enters Camden House via Broadstone Place in order to shoot into Holmes’ apartment opposite.” Lees enjoys studying architecture in the Portman area and his legal work

has led him to visit some other unusual and inspiring spaces throughout the UK, though a few, such as secret government installations, have to remain untold. “I’m not a history buff or anything like that but the history of buildings fascinates me. I’m giving them life, as it were,” he says. “My books are novels, of course, but within the novels are facts.” Besides the Holmes series, Lees has written two books about music halls which explore the culture clash between American vaudeville and British music hall as two performers from the States try their luck on the London stage. His most recent novels, The Premiere and The Finale, concern an imagined argument between Gustav Mahler and Oscar Wilde: “They discuss the collapse of art as they move towards the cataclysm of the First World War,” Lees explains. Having completed a staggering 10 books in just three years, as well as keeping up a day job, Lees understandably thinks he’s earned a rest. He’d like to rewrite and expand on his architecture book and will be lecturing this summer at the Prince’s Foundation, Prince Charles’ architecture and built environment charity. After that, he’s says he’s done with writing… perhaps. Stephen Lees’ books are available on Amazon

26 gifts

With all the exclusive and unusual ideas on offer from local businesses, there’s no excuse for unimaginative presents this Mother’s Day. And some treats might benefit the giver too…

SPRING is just around the corner, show your love with this cheerful, chic daffodil clutch. £185, WILBUR & GUSSIE, 20 NEW QUEBEC STREET. INFO: 020 3696 4920, WWW.WILBURANDGUSSIE.COM

Mum’s the word

MUM will be bowled over by the delicate beauty of this penshell dragonfly box from interior design queen Eliská Sapera. £480, ELISKÁ, 16A NEW QUEBEC STREET. INFO: 020 7723 5521, WWW.ELISKADESIGN.COM

WHY NOT treat mother to a delicious Champagne afternoon tea? Enjoy a choice of brew, from English breakfast to Egyptian mint, with an irresistible classic British finger sandwich selection, freshly baked scones and tempting pastries, complemented with a chilled glass of Champagne. Served 2pm-5pm every day. £30 FOR TWO, THISTLE MARBLE ARCH, BRYANSTON STREET. INFO: 0207 5142613, WWW.THISTLE.COM

INSTEAD of just buying perfume for your mum, why not buy her an introduction to perfume-making at Homemade London? She’ll have the chance to learn about what goes into making a perfume and create her own bespoke scent to take away in this intimate two-and-a half-hour workshop. Drinks, nibbles and all materials included. March 24 and April 21, 6.30pm-9pm, and April 26, 2pm-4.30pm. £65 PER PERSON OR £55 IF YOU BOOK MORE THAN ONE PERSON. HOMEMADE LONDON, 21 SEYMOUR PLACE. INFO: 020 8616 0771, WWW.HOMEMADELONDON.COM

CREATED by perfumer Emmanuel Philip, this beautifully packaged Fornasetti Profumi room spray evokes high summer with notes of mandarin, pine and labdanum. £85 (100ML), CIRE TRUDON BOUTIQUE, 36 CHILTERN STREET. INFO: 020 7486 7590, WWW.CIRETRUDON.COM

ELEGANT and individual, a gift of these earrings and necklace will ensure you’re the number one child. EARRINGS £120, PENDANT £199, KOHATU AND PETROS, 58 CHILTERN STREET. INFO: 020 7486 7737, WWW.KOHATUANDPETROS.COM

30 business

Is the gym the new boardroom?

Home House PRIVATE MEMBERS’ club Home House boasts a basement gym complete with separate studio and boxing area. Personal training (which is available to non-House members too) is provided by Jon Goodair, who has put England rugby players and Olympic runners through their paces. Jon has been at Home House since the very beginning, back in 1999. “Twenty years ago a lot of business was done in the sauna, and now it is definitely people within the same profession, like property and the law, chatting in the gym instead,” he says. He believes the reason you’ll find a lot of senior executives talking about work here, is because the environment is much more relaxed than in the office. Another bonus of training at a private members’ club is that “lots of clients don’t have 9am-5pm jobs, so they might come at 6.30am or nine in the evening depending on what their schedule is that week.” Which means if you do come to network and work out, you’ll find a more private atmosphere than in a commercial gym. The club’s finance director David Kerr, who works out at the gym, tells a similar story. “You see different sectors using the gym at different times of

the day. The property sector come in around 7am, and private equity and hedge funders tend to come in at 7.30am. “It is definitely an informal networking and information-gathering opportunity. People come in and they get a better perspective on the whole marketplace and what deals are being done. The other aspect is getting contact details of useful people in complementary industries.” David cites the example of a local property firm he does business with. “Whenever they want to make contact with me, the partner somehow manages to appear in the gym that morning. It is an opportunity to have an informal conversation, before things are put into a formal context. The best form of communication is face-to-face, which is not something that always happens in a busy office. You often get much more information by having conversations in person.” David also points out that the club “has an eclectic approach to membership; unlike some of our competitors we don’t exclude people who are dressed in a suit and tie.” 20 Portman Square Info: 020 7670 2000, www.homehouse.co.uk ‡

FAR LEFT: PERSONAL TRAINER JON GOODAIR LEFT: FINANCE DIRECTOR OF HOME HOUSE, DAVID KERR

A regular workout session can offer business people great opportunities for informal networking, local gym owners tell Cally Squires

32 business

Club Twenty Two OWNER OF this boutique gym, Tracey Burnette, says the personal training-only rule for members keeps it “more exclusive and keeps numbers down”. As the gym is small, it bans mobile phones. “Most of our clients are high profile or senior business people, and we actually don’t want them to be interrupted by

Pilates off the Square THIS STUDIO, owned by Sian Williams and Dominique Jansen, not only teaches group classes but specialises in private tuition. Experienced instructors customise sessions to the client’s body, which can mean working with a combination of reformer, matt or tower pulley unit, to name but a few of the gadgets in the studio’s basement. “There is a huge social aspect to the studio,” she says. “Customers tend to get to know one another and then we see people who get on well booking sessions at similar times and then going out for coffee afterwards.” Besides friendship, they form professional links too. “For example we’ve had lawyers gain referrals through word of mouth,” Dominque says. “Our clients encompass a whole variety of professions that link to each other. We’ve even had an excellent piano teacher who has ended up giving lessons to other clients’ children.” 4 Mandeville Place Info: 020 7935 8505, www.pilatesoffthesquare.co.uk

Fitness First Baker Street 55 BAKER STREET is one of gym chain Fitness First’s flagship clubs, featuring unusual classes such as ballet and street dancing as well as a pool and a sauna. On the subject of networking while exercising, staff say “we believe it happens here” and cite lunchtime classes as the time to be seen on the gym floor. 55 Baker Street Info: 0844 571 2803, www.fitnessfirst.co.uk

PILATES OFF THE SQUARE CO-OWNER DOMINQUE JANSEN

The SB Collective ON A Wednesday morning at 8am, you’ll find supermodels, ballet dancers, actresses, pop stars (and the odd journalist), crawling along the floor of a studio in Fitness First at 55 Baker Street. They’re part of the SBC, an exclusive fitness phenomenon led by trainer Russell Bateman. “The first rule of SBC is never talk about SBC,” Russell tells me after class. Sorry Russell. After the crawling, it’s burpees, upside down mountain climbers, running, holding hands and squatting, and no time for rest. The £40 class is designed to throw you as far out of your comfort zone as possible, which it certainly does. Networking definitely takes place, partnerships forged and deals being struck in the changing rooms. 55 Baker Street. www.thesbcollective.com

people looking to do a deal or make introductions when they are trying to fit in a workout.” 2nd Floor, Radisson Blu Portman Hotel, 22 Portman Square Info: 020 7935 3099, www.clubtwentytwo.info

36 easter eggs

Quirky and arty A gift of convincing-looking speckled bird’s eggs from Rococo Chocolates on Moxon Street makes a quirky alternative for Easter. The praline quail eggs and salted caramel ganache seagull eggs are encased in hard sugar shells and come nestled in hay in transparent cubes (£4.95) or in larger “crates” (£7.50). Real hens’ eggshells filled with praline cost £25 for six. The shop also has some elegant eggs hand-painted with leaping hare and Japanese bird designs (£25 and £32.50 respectively), and children will love the musical chocolate bunnies (£12.95 each) playing drums, saxophone, accordion and banjo. www.rococochocolates.com

Luxury novelties There’s a flying theme to the Maison du Chocolat range at Selfridges this Easter. The Aviator (£35) is an egg sporting a pair of goggles and white chocolate scarf. A tall chocolate duckling featuring the same accessories costs £35, or £105 complete with a set of edible vintage luggage. Stylish Pierre Marcolini chocolate Russian dolls retail from £13.90 to £45. Chocolate-lovers will enjoy Selfridges’ newly opened improved Confectionery Hall including a Chocolate Library with more than 400 new bars. www.selfridges.com

Wake up and smell the chocolate Easter treats come in ever more enticing shapes this season. Debbie Ward investigates the options, from realistic-looking seagull eggs to a duckling dressed as a pioneer aviator

Delightful deliveries James Bernard Floristry at 9 New Quebec Street will deliver locally bought chocolate eggs for you this Easter, with or without flowers. Yellow is the most popular colour for spring floral arrangements and the likes of daffodils, narcissus, hyacinths, crocuses and tulips can be included. Regular boxes of chocolates and wine can be sent with bouquets year-round. www.james-bernard.co.uk

Old favourites Toto’s Newsagent at 28 Seymour Place is stocking a range of favourites from Cadbury’s. They range from a Crème Egg for under £1 to around £5 for a boxed egg. Lindt’s gold foil wrapped bunnies are also available in various sizes and usually prove particularly popular.

Ethical egg Organic milk chocolate eggs from Fairtrade favourite Green & Blacks are available at Little Waitrose Portman Square for £6 each. The store also has some cute ownbrand chocolate “Woodland Friends” for kids young and old in the form of Spike the Hedgehog and Hop the Frog. Both cost £6 and have puzzles on their packs. www.waitrose.com

Regal choice Leonidas is a purveyor of chocolate to the Belgian royal family. From mid-March its outlet at 21 Baker Street will be stocking a range of quality eggs plus small chocolate ducks and rabbits. The brand uses fresh natural ingredients including Italian almonds and Valencia oranges. www.leonidas.com

38 literature walk

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DODIE SMITH’S 101 DALMATIANS DIARY OF NOBODY AUTHOR AND ACTOR GEORGE GROSSMAN IN THE MIKADO SHERLOCK HOLMES MUSEUM ANTHONY TROLLOPE

18 Dorset Sq t t 221B Baker St DORSET SQUARE MELCOMBE ST 28 Dorset Sq t t 65 Gloucester Pl MARYLEBONE ROAD GLOUCETSER PLACE MONTAGU PL

39 Montagu Sq t

PORTMAN SQUARE

MANCHESTER SQUARE ORCHARD ST

PARK STREET

NEW QUEBEC ST

MARBLE ARCH

t The Wallace Collection t Hinde House

30 Seymour St t

A literary walking tour

BAKER STREET

MONTAGU STREET

t 85 George St

OXFORD STREET

NORTH ROW t 17 Dunraven St

Victorian novelists and nonsense verse rub shoulders with the world’s most famous detective on Kate McAuley’s walking tour of The Portman Estate

THE PORTMAN ESTATE and its surrounds have a strong literary tradition, both fictional and real. Let’s take a walk to get to know it better, starting at Baker Street with, yes, you guessed it, Sherlock Holmes. Although the exact location of 221b Baker Street, the home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous character, is a hotly debated subject, The Sherlock Holmes Museum now claims the address, just around the corner from the Tube station. In the books, Holmes lived and worked here between 1881 and 1904. If you have time, you can visit the first floor study, which overlooks Baker Street and is faithfully preserved in the Victorian fashion described by Conan Doyle. When you’re ready to leave the tourists behind, turn right as you leave the Museum and right again onto Melcombe Street. Walk straight until you come to Dorset Square.

Take a right around this private garden (which is where the original Lord’s cricket ground was located) until you get to number 18. It was here that the novelist and playwright Dodie Smith (1896 - 1990) once lived. You may know her as the author of 101 Dalmatians (1956), but her other notable works include I Capture The Castle (1949), The Midnight Kittens (1978) and The Starlight Barking (1978). “How I wish I’d lived in a Jane Austen novel,” is the famous quote from I Capture The Castle. You might feel the same way about this beautiful terraced home. On the other side of Dorset Square, at number 28, lived the actor and author George Grossmith (1847-1912), who was best known for his portrayals of a number of Gilbert & Sullivan characters and the comic novel The Diary of a Nobody (1892), which he penned with his brother, Weedon.

40 literature walk

Considered to be “the funniest book in the world” by the writer and journalist Evelyn Waugh, it tells the story of a typical suburban life of the time. As the protagonist Charles Pooter puts it, “Why should I not publish my diary? I have often seen reminiscences of people I have never even heard of, and I fail to see - because I do not happen to be a ‘Somebody’ - why my diary should not be interesting.” Now it’s time to venture from the comedic to the gothic with William “Wilkie” Collins (1824-1889). Collins lived at 65 Gloucester Place. Further down the road at 137-143 is The Allsop Arms, where you can take a load off and consider The Woman in White (1859). “My hour for tea is half-past five, and my buttered toast waits for nobody,” Collins wrote in his best-known work, but what’s your fancy? From here, cross over Marylebone Road and turn right down Crawford Street. Just along from the gorgeous interiors shops, including Another Country and Glamant Home, you can stop and smell the roses at Titania’s Garden – a florist that bursts out onto the street in a dazzle of colour and scents, like a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As Oberon says in the play, “I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine, There sleeps Titania sometime of

memorable quotes such as “A woman’s weapon is her tongue,” and “Throughout the world, the more wrong a man does, the more indignant is he at wrong done to him”. A quick check in with Tom-More (17791852), the Irish poet and songwriter famous for The Minstrel Boy and The Epicurean (1827), is next on our tour. You’ll find his blue plaque at 85 George Street – look up or you’ll miss it. A short walk away at 30 Seymour Street you’ll find Edward Lear, an artist, illustrator, author and poet who remains best known for his limericks and nonsense verse such as The Owl and the Pussycat. The site is currently being redeveloped. Sticking with the funny and satirical, we next visit P G Wodehouse (1881 - 1975) at 17 Dunraven Street. Another prolific writer, Wodehouse was incredibly popular throughout his long life, and his Jeeves and Wooster stories remain his most adored. Narrated by the rich, absentminded Bertie Wooster, the stories are full of awkward and improbable social situations that require the

the night…” And now it’s onto Montagu Square, which you’ll find not long after you turn left onto Upper Montagu Street. Among the mishmash of architectural styles on the square, search out number 39 for the onetime residence of Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope (1815-1852). Trollope was a prolific writer, publishing 47 novels, but his 1875 satire The Way We Live Now gave us many

genius of his valet Jeeves to untangle. As we near the end of our tour, take Orchard Street, turn right at Fitzhardinge Street and at Manchester Square you’ll find the Wallace Collection, which has a beautiful bookshop that stocks a wellcurated selection of art, biography and other related books. Continue across the square onto Hinde Street until you find Hinde House on the corner of Thayer Street. This art deco building was once home to Rose Macaulay (1881 - 1958), a novelist who also wrote biographies and travel. She is noted for satirising religion in novels such as Going Abroad (1934) and The World My Wilderness (1950). Now that you’ve met a few of London’s literary greats, perhaps you’d like to read them. Head down Thayer Road until you get to Daunt Books at 83 Marylebone High Street. Happy reading.

‡ CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: EDWARD LEAR’S THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT P G WODEHOUSE’S JEEVES STORIES THE WALLACE COLLECTION TITANIA’S GARDEN

43 baker street

Smarter giving

M A RC H 2 015

Member businesses of the Baker Street Quarter Partnership are giving back to their communities, as Kate McAuley reports.

This year’s Belgravia Awards event was a fabulous

evening, with about 300 residents and workers attending a

champagne and canapé reception at The Berkeley hotel.

020 7259 1051 020 7259 1059 020 7259 1053

SPRING 2015

THEATRE

COFFEE

FITNESS

The perennial Billy Elliot

Grab a caffeine fix in SW1

How to get in shape for summer

Victoria L O N D O N S TA R T S H E R E

Three awards were presented to inspiring members of the Belgravia community who were voted for by our readers

and chosen by a panel of judges. Turn to page 8 for photos from the night and interviews with the winners.

Longer, warmer days are just around the

Forum website gives locals the lowdown

corner and there’s

spring in your step.

On page 14, you’ll find details of the latest

Concerts to St Peter’s Church.

Also inside, we speak to interior designer

and socialite Nicky Haslam (page 20);

and catch up with local resident and author Hugh Canham (page 26). Motcombs restaurant owner Philip

Lawless gives us the inside story on how

the Motcomb Street summer party has

raised almost £1 million for charity since it began (page 22); and we look at how Belgravia has

Joshua Reynolds portraits as you’ve never seen them before

become a destination for sushi restaurants (page 24). Find out what brought rock legend Mick Jagger to Belgravia last month (page 3); discover the striking ski posters by Pullman Editions (page 6); and read about Ebury Street’s pop-up jewellery shop

Spring 2015

Living on and around The Portman Estate

Gråsilver (also page 6).

The Belgravia Neighbourhood Forum has launched a website where everyone who lives and works in the area can keep up-to-date with local issues ranging from Crossrail to crime. Forum chairman Mary Regnier-Leigh said the interactive site (www.belgraviaforum.org), which is set to be expanded in the coming months, will offer a “font of knowledge” about Belgravia and the immediate vicinity. It will also hold consultations on various issues and is currently inviting people to give their thoughts on rough sleepers and beggars, who have been congregating in the underpass next to The Lanesborough hotel. Regnier-Leigh said: “After speaking to different people, it became clear that lots of us are having trouble with rough sleepers, beggars and drug addicts, both on the streets and in our gardens. “While it is a problem for many people, nobody was telling anybody else. Now we’re asking people to let us know how they’ve been affected and the frequency of the problem, and we’re looking for solutions.” Crossrail 2 and Victoria Coach Station will also be monitored. “Crossrail have changed the boundaries to increase the safeguarding area, which means that more people may be affected by what’s going on underground. We’re going to be watching that,” she said. “One benefit of Crossrail 2 for local people is the likelihood that the coach station will need to be relocated somewhere else temporarily. We want to make sure that it doesn’t come back.” Joining the forum is free, and Regnier-Leigh is encouraging as many people as possible to fill in the membership form on the website. “We want people to know that we’re here, so they know where to come for information and with questions. “We’re also anxious to hear from any local groups and organisations, whether it’s a Neighbourhood Watch scheme or just a few people in a street who get together from time to time,” she said. The forum is set to hold a meeting in the spring, where members will elect a permanent steering committee. It will then start work on the neighbourhood plan, which will give it a statutory voice on issues such as planning and land use.

SPRING STYLE Fabulous fashion finds in Victoria

From top left, clockwise: Local Hero winner PC Johnny O’Donovan with Julian Fellowes; Victoria Coach Station; Gråsilver jewellery; Nicky Haslam’s new book; Stile Antico, who will sing at St Peter’s Church

SLOANE SQUARE

plenty happening in Belgravia to put a

local events, including the return of Eaton Square

For details of The Portman or any of our other magazines please call

Caroline Warrick Bridget Rodricks Katie Thomas

WINTER 2014

A newspaper for the residents and business occupiers of Belgravia February 2014 Issue 129

ia

– high-quality local magazines for some of London’s wealthiest areas

A BUYER’S MEWS The prett y way to i nvest i n propert y

Vict

Belgravia, The Northbank, Sloane Square, PaddingtonNow, and Victoria – London starts here,

R OYAL   ACAD EMY CHIEF  EX ECU TIVE C harl es Saumarez Smi t h on Paddi ng ton’s pearl s

Alice Temperley and the Best of British PLUS: our 30th anniversary issue looks back at Mayfair through the decades

Belgravia

In addition to The Portman, Publishing Business also produces Mayfair Times,

THE PORTMAN

Reach even more of London’s most affluent readers

LIFTING THE LID O N PA D D I N GTO N E x p l o re t h e a re a b y w a l k i ng t h e ne w B e a r Tra i l

Ar t • Culture • Fashion • Food Feb r ua r y 2 015

Sloane Street’s Emilia Wickstead takes on LFW

Spring 2015 Wow factors for wedding days

Active gear for urban adventurers How the green agenda is blooming

The ultimate gift guide for Valentine’s and Mother’s Day Inside the weird and wonderful Chelsea home of Dante Gabriel Rossetti

“THE CHURCH STREET WARD is the fifth most deprived ward in the country,” says Kate Heslegrave, project manager at the Baker Street Quarter Partnership’s Smarter Giving initiative, located just north of Marylebone Station. “People see the buildings and the shops around Baker Street and they assume it’s an incredibly rich area. But two or three streets away is literally one of the most deprived areas in the country.” The Baker Street Quarter Partnership, a Business Improvement District (BID), is looking to help the people in these areas through its Smarter Giving initiative. Although fairly new, it is already making a big difference. “Basically we work with our members to redirect their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts locally,” Heslegrave says. “Over the last 12 months we’ve seen an increasing level of interest from our member businesses, which is obviously a very exciting thing.” Once businesses have shown an interest, Smarter Giving helps build collaborations. “We work with them, try and

HELPING CHILDREN IS A BIG FOCUS FOR THE SMARTER GIVING TEAM

“We work with our members to redirect their corporate social responsibility efforts locally.” educate them and inform them of what’s on their doorstep,” she explains. “We work with and identify a lot of the charities and communities groups within the area and identify where there is an opportunity for our business members to get involved – and cultivate these relationships. So it could be volunteering or mentoring or something else. We have a wide range opportunities available. We all recognise we can make a huge difference.” A great example is the refurbishment of the Portman Early Childhood Centre roof gardens on Salisbury Street. The centre, which is free, takes children aged between two and five and provides parenting support. “At the moment the roof gardens are a little bit run down,” Heslegrave says. “The Double Tree by Hilton Marble Arch has joined forces on the project with the London & Regional Team at 55 Baker Street and

44 baker street

JCA who is another company at that location. From the businesses, we have expert contractors who have come onsite to donate their time and we have volunteers to totally regenerate these gardens. “We’re expecting the work to take place towards the end of March, so hopefully by the end of May it’ll all be completed, just in time for the summer. It’s amazing.” Helping children in need seems to be a big focus for Heslegrave and her team. “Over Christmas we held a series of toy drives, where we identified five local nurseries and family centres, largely based around the Church Street area, where many of the families may not have been able to afford to buy Christmas presents at all,” she says. “Each was adopted by one or two of our businesses who then went to their employees and raised funds and asked for donations of brand-new toys that were

“We identify where there is an opportunity for our business members to get involved – and cultivate these relationships.” given to the children at a Christmas party by Santa.” The organisations involved included the University of Westminster, Double Tree by Hilton Mable Arch, Quintan, The Premier League and businesses in the large multitenanted buildings of 35 Portman Square, 95 Wigmore Street and 55 Baker Street. Other companies are involved in similar pursuits. “JCA have an annual programme

VOLUNTEERS FROM DOUBLE TREE BY HILTON MARBLE ARCH AT THE PORTMAN EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRE

in place where each month their staff are interacting with a different community group or charity, whether that’s fundraising, volunteering or mentoring,” Heslegrave says. “And the new Little Waitrose Store on Baker Street is donating money every month to local causes through their green token Community Matters programme.” Supporting local children’s charities and community groups is just one part of The Baker Street Quarter Partnership’s work within the area. Smarter Giving reaches out to the complete spectrum of local charities, including those working with the homeless, aged and sick. The West London Day Centre (WLDC) has benefitted from household items for those who have been rehomed. Luxury skincare brand Elemis donates towels for the centre’s shower facilities. In December, the team hosted a food bank at 55 Baker Street, with donations shared between the Marylebone Project, Portman Early Childhood Centre, St John’s Hospice and WLDC. “In the course of the last 12 months in particular there’s been such exciting progress and so many businesses are getting involved,” Heslegrave says. Info: www.bakerstreetq.co.uk