HANG IT - Marylebone Journal
MARYLEBONE JOURNAL April/May 2015 Volume 11/02 marylebonejournal.com @MaryleboneJrnl JANE PACKER A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FLORISTRY SHOP WILLIAMVINTAGE A CENTURY OF COUTURE THE JOINT PIGGING OUT HANG IT TRACEY NEULS ON SHOES, BOOZE AND SCULPTURE Inspired Eating. Effortless Elegance. Located in the heart of London’s West End at the top of Regent Street, Roux at The Landau brings together the legendary Albert Roux and Michel Roux Jr. to the kitchen for the first time in 19 years. The Roux trademark style of classically-constructed French dishes, blended with today’s tastes for lighter choices is tastefully delivered in the stunning David Collins designed dining room. rouxatthelandau.com The Langham, London, 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, London W1B 1JA T 44 (0) 20 7636 1000 Contents. 4. UP FRONT 4: Toby Shannon on saying goodbye to old favourites 4: The big picture A view from The Marylebone Hotel 6: Street stories Wigmore Street 8: Local lives The life and times of Gillian Cook 10: Past presence Emma Cons 12: My perfect day Pauline Burrows describes her perfect day in Marylebone 14: Ten Royal Academy of Music alumni, from Simon Rattle to Elton John 16 22 32 26 36 26 36 CHILDREN’S CRUSADE LONDON’S VERY FIRST CRECHE SUPPORT ACT THE STORY OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF MUSICIANS PULLING POWER THE JOINT: FROM BRIXTON VILLAGE TO MARYLEBONE VILLAGE 16 FROCK OF AGES WILLIAM BANKSBLANEY TAKES US ON A TOUR OF VINTAGE COUTURE IN BLOOM A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S FINEST FLORISTS 42. CULTURE 42: Q&A: David Thorp, guest curator at Ambika P3 44: What’s on 45: Picture from an exhibition 48: Book reviews 50. STYLE 50: Q&A: Tracey Neuls of Tracey Neuls 52: My favourites: Tim Yates of Trunk Clothiers 54: Nailed it 56: A fresh look 56: Vive la difference 57: The outfit 58: Facing the future 60. HOME 60: Q&A: Vicky Shepherd of Cologne & Cotton 62: Home help: getting the best of interiors day from Skandium 63: Five desk lamps 64. FOOD 64: Q&A: Ermanno Devalle of The Cavendish 66: New 67: A recipe from Roux at The Landau 68: Why I love: lamb 68: Top tipples 70. HEALTH 70: Q&A: Dr David Forecast of The London Clinic 74: Body and mind: Barrecore 76: Kit & caboodle: Vibrant Soundbridge 76: Beginner’s guide: neuromuscular dentistry 78. WORK 78: All he surveys: A chartered surveyor 80. SPACE 80: Open house: Harley Street Medical Area 82: Ask the expert 82: Property of the month 85: Q&A: Simon Hedley of Druce Marylebone 1—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 1 31/03/2015 13:44 Editor’s letter. Marylebone Journal marylebonejournal.com @marylebonejrnl Editor Mark Riddaway [email protected] Deputy editor Viel Richardson [email protected] Assistant editor Clare Finney [email protected] Sub-editor Ellie Costigan [email protected] Editorial desk 020 7401 7297 Advertising sales Donna Earrey 020 7401 2772 [email protected] Publisher LSC Publishing 13.2.1 The Leathermarket Weston Street London SE1 3ER lscpublishing.com Contributers Jean-Paul Aubin-Parvu, Joseph Fox, Sasha Garwood, Robert Giorgione, Tom Hughes, Stevie Martin Howard de Walden Estate contact Jenny Hancock [email protected] Design and art direction Em-Project Limited 01892 614 346 [email protected] Distribution Letterbox Printing Warwick Independent Publishing Awards Editor of the Year Winner 2011, Mark Riddaway Writer of the Year Winner 2013, Clare Finney Winner 2011, Viel Richardson Designer of the Year Winner 2010, Mike Turner The Marylebone Journal is owned and sponsored by The Howard de Walden Estate 23 Queen Anne Street, W1G 9DL 020 7580 3163 hdwe.co.uk FINE VINTAGE MARK RIDDAWAY THE FIRST TIME I became aware of the concept of vintage clothing I was just out of university, earning a mingy pittance in a telesales job and generally struggling to pay for anything beyond rent and bran flakes. Wandering into a shop in Covent Garden, dressed as usual in ratty charity shop garbs, I discovered a whole new world, one of secondhand clothes that I couldn’t actually afford. Then a thunderbolt: the exact same shirt I was wearing at the time—a colourful, wide-collared number, discarded by an ageing disco dancer and bought by me for 50p at a hospice shop in Tooting—was there on a rail, pressed and wrapped and on sale for £40. Seizing the moment, I nipped around the corner, removed my shirt, pulled my jumper back on to create the classic v-neck sweater and chest-hair Lovejoy look, then sold my ‘vintage’ shirt to the shop’s unsmiling proprietor for a cool £15. I suspect he’d have given me £20 if it hadn’t still been warm from my circulatory system. Still, I was delighted—an instant 3,000 per cent profit is the kind of margin that even a utilities company might consider attractive. And most importantly, I had a new identity. I was now a buyer and seller of vintage clothing, not just a skint bloke with iffy taste and a wardrobe full of ageing Nylon. I could have been another William Banks-Blaney. If it wasn’t for the bit about iffy taste and skintness. 2—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 2 31/03/2015 13:44 Bloomsb - Sports Law - Intellectual Property - Defending Medical Practioners - Conveyancing - Litigation - Property Disputes - Employment Law - Medical Negligence - Commercial & Corporate - Family Law - Personal Injury - Tax Advice & Disputes - Immigration - Professional Negligence - Wills, Probate & Trusts 17 Manchester Street, London W1U 4DJ 0207 998 7777 www.bloomsbury-law.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 3 Bloomsbury law final.indd 1 31/03/2015 13:44 23/03/2015 14:06:39 Up front. TOBY SHANNON MIXING IT UP THE BIG PICTURE Here at the Howard de Walden Estate we are always pleased to welcome new retailers to the area, but we are as disappointed as anyone when popular and longstanding members of the Marylebone Village retail community decide to move on. It is therefore a great shame that the owners of Divertimenti, whose unique approach to kitchenware was such a perfect fit for the high street, have chosen to assign their lease and head off to pastures new. We understand their reasons for accepting the offer presented by the incoming tenant, Lululemon, and while we wish this highly respected retailer every success, Marylebone Village would have had a win-win if Divertimenti could have found a way of staying in the area. Maintaining a broad and eclectic mix of retailers, with an emphasis on independence, has for many years been central to the Estate’s strategy for Marylebone Village, but there are limits to what we can do when our chosen retailers are offered substantial sums of money to assign their leases. Our main is hope that those retailers considering assigning their leases will be influenced by the Estate’s example by searching out retailers which can complement and enhance the existing tenant mix. Meanwhile, we continue to work hard to support our retailers in what is a buoyant and aggressive market. The upcoming Marylebone Interiors Day, the Summer Fayre and indeed this very magazine are all prime examples of how we can showcase what the village has to offer, getting people working together and reinforcing the sense of place that is so critical to the area’s long term success. A spectacular view from one of The Marylebone Hotel’s impressive new London suites Toby Shannon Chief executive The Howard de Walden Estate 4—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 4 31/03/2015 13:44 5—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 5 31/03/2015 13:44 Up front. STREET STORIES WIGMORE STREET In 1719, when Edward Harley began planning the development of his family’s Marylebone estate, Wigmore Street enjoyed a prominent place within the elegant grid of roads designed by his architect John Prince. Named after Wigmore Castle, Herefordshire, it was one of the first parts of the development to be finished: John Rocque’s famous London map of 1746 shows Wigmore Street completed while much of the rest of Marylebone remained a pastoral backwater. The street made its name as a commercial and retail centre. It has even hosted some heavy industry: throughout the second half of the 19th century, a major ironworks, Benham & Sons, lorded over the intersection of Wigmore and Welbeck Streets, with its workshops in the vast basement area and showrooms on the ground floor. Apart from a handful of original Georgian buildings, most of the street’s current stock is late Victorian and Edwardian. Dominating one entire Blue plaques Surprisingly, none. One of Wigmore Street’s few notable residents was the dashing Italian poet and revolutionary Ugo Foscolo, who in the early 19th century would entertain the English literati in his humble lodgings. Landmark building The Debenhams building, a purpose-built Edwardian department store designed by William Wallace and James Gibson, now mainly office space. block is the extraordinary Debenhams building, dating from 1907-8. Faced with stunning white Doulton Carrara tiles, it is an ostentatious example of Edwardian baroque, complete with turrets and arches, cherubs and bare-breasted Amazonians —a statement building, erected by a commercial superpower brimming with confidence. Wigmore Street is the spiritual home of the Debenhams chain, which can trace its roots back to the Flint & Clark drapery store, established in 1778 at 44 Wigmore Street. In 1813, an ambitious 19-year-old named William Debenham became a partner in the firm, which was renamed Clark & Debenham, and the rest is history. The road’s main draw is Wigmore Hall, which started life in 1901 as a marketing stunt by the German piano firm Bechstein, whose showrooms were next door. This grand but intimate venue, built to show off the pure tones of Bechstein’s instruments, was designed by the English architect Thomas Collcutt in a Renaissance style, packed with alabaster and marble. Almost as venerable a resident is the Hall’s near neighbour, the John Bell & Croyden pharmacy, which moved to its current location in 1912. One famous tenant was rather more short-lived. In January 1968, the Beatles’ Apple Corps moved into 95 Wigmore Street, but found itself a little too hip for comfort. Unable to play records during office hours because of complaints from other tenants, the business was gone within months. 6—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 6 31/03/2015 13:44 Chartered Surveyors and Commercial Property Consultants • Leaserenewalnegotiation • Representationregardingrentreviewsandincreases • Findingandsecuringnewproperty • Disposingofexistingpropertyorproperties Please contact us on 0203 384 6130 or by email to: [email protected] or [email protected]. www.harrisonleggett.co.uk 20 Little Portland Street, London W1W 8BS .. .. .. .. .. . WE PROVIDE: Images: size-isnt-everything.co.uk 24 HOUR EMERGENCY CALL OUT INSTALLATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ENERGY AUDITS AND RECOMMENDATIONS LED LIGHTING INTALLATIONS AND SUPPLY REWIRES AND LAMP REPLACEMENT PERIODIC INSPECTION REPORTS REPOR TEST AND INSPECTIONS RESPONSIVE REPAIRS PORTABLE APPLIANCE TESTING (PAT) FIRE ALARMS AND EMERGENCY LIGHTING INSTALLATION AND TESTING EXCELLENT SERVICE SINCE 1972 Images: size-isnt-everything.co.uk CALL NOW ON 020 7486 9075 WWW.MAC-SERVICES.CO.UK COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL LIGHTING SOLUTIONS WWW.LEDLONDONLIGHTING.COM WITH OVER 40 YEARS OF PROVIDING OUR CLIENTS WITH QUALITY ASSURANCE THROUGHOUT OUR WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES COME VISIT OUR SHOWROOM AT 23, BLANDFORD STREET, MARYLEBONE, W1U 3DL, LONDON 7—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 7 31/03/2015 13:44 Up front. LOCAL LIVES GILLIAN COOK Gillian Cook manages The Capital Dance School on Blandford Street. She has travelled the world representing her country in modern ballroom and Latin dance and has taught many leading competition dancers INTERVIEW: JP AUBIN-PARVU IMAGE: JOSEPH FOX I started ballet when I was two years old. There’s an old photograph somewhere of me dancing on stage at about that age. My parents weren’t pushy, but they encouraged me to dance, which was a great escape for a very shy child. At the age of 10 I moved onto tap and then changed to jazz, disco and rock and roll dancing a couple of years later. During my mid-teens my aunt took me to see a ballroom dancing competition, which I loved, so I began having lessons. I started properly dancing ballroom and Latin at 18. I found myself a dancing partner, had the best teachers ever created, and within eight months we went to America to represent the UK at the California Star Ball Dancesport Championships. They usually send one ballroom couple, one Latin couple and a third couple to make up the numbers. We were the third couple—basically cannon fodder—but to everyone’s surprise we won the ballroom category. Competitive dancing is addictive, it’s like a drug and you get the most amazing high when you win. Back then I worked as a civil servant and would practise three to four hours every night, competing on Sundays. You have to be ranked as an amateur and so I danced in all the ranking competitions throughout the UK, but dancing has since taken me all over the world. Hong Kong was an amazing trip. The ballrooms are spectacular and we received wonderful feedback from the public. I first went there in 1994, just a few years before it was handed back to China. I met some really interesting people and found the culture absolutely fascinating. I started teaching when I was 25. I had been looking for a new competitive dance partner and found one in France, so I handed in my resignation at the office and moved over there. I was competing and started teaching to earn money. Trying to teach in a foreign language sometimes lands you in trouble. I was giving a husband and wife, a competitive dancing couple, their first lesson and kept telling the guy to lower his arm. But I got the pronunciation wrong and was actually telling him to go fuck his arm. The wife was in hysterics, but he was mortified. I also spent a year teaching and competing in Germany, before returning to the UK and starting at the Gwenethe Walshe School of Dancing right here in Marylebone, in this very studio. I’ve been teaching here for the last 24 years. Gwenethe taught all the world champions— she even taught Len Goodman—and I had a really strong education from her. Gwenethe was an amazing woman. I now manage and teach at The Capital Dance School. We teach absolutely anything and everything that you can dance in pairs, so that includes Argentine tango, lindy hop and salsa, and we’ve just employed someone who also teaches street and jazz. We have a very strong range of teachers here: the best in the UK. Our students start as young as five, while the eldest has been well into their 90s. We’ve taught everyone from asphalters and electricians to celebrities, actors and foreign royalty. I even taught a murderer. Yes, you read that right. I was teaching this guy who told me that he was going away on business for a while and wasn’t sure when he’d be back. About a week later I read in the newspaper that he’d got 14 years for murdering his wife. People come to dance for many different reasons. I’ve helped lots of people get off drink or drugs— the studio is in a very safe environment and you can be whoever you want. We don’t judge you. If you want to be Fred Astaire, you can 8—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 8 31/03/2015 13:44 Dancing has given me a wealth of experience. I have travelled around the world, which was something an East End girl like me probably wouldn’t have done otherwise. It has given me an understanding of how people think. You see inside people, which is wonderful 9—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 9 31/03/2015 13:44 Up front. be Fred Astaire. If you want to be Ginger Rogers, you can be Ginger Rogers. If you want to be both of them at the same time then you can. We teach same sex couples as well. What do I love about teaching? The people. They’re all different. They walk differently, they have different attitudes, they think differently. You can say something to one person and it’s crystal clear and you can say the same thing to somebody else and they look at you like you’ve just landed from Mars, so you have to find their characters and pull out the best bits. That’s what I love. At the end of the day dancing is: walk forwards, backwards, turn right and turn left. That’s it. Anyone can do it. Making it look good is the hard bit. Dancing has given me a wealth of experience. I have travelled around the world, which was something an East End girl like me probably wouldn’t have done otherwise. Dancing has given me confidence and introduced me to so many interesting people. It has given me a great understanding of my own body and other people’s bodies. It has given me an understanding of how people think. You see inside people, which is wonderful. But what I love most about dancing is the freedom. You are totally free. You can be whatever you want and can do whatever you want. You can express who you are, without having to use words. QUOTE HG WELLS Wells lived at 47 Chiltern Court (1931-35) and 13 Hanover Terrace, Marylebone (1935-46) Leaders should lead as far as they can and then vanish. Their ashes should not choke the fire they have lit. PAST PRESENCE EMMA CONS (1838-1912) Looking around the blue plaques of Marylebone, there is one significant characteristic that almost all of the area’s celebrated luminaries had in common: they urinated standing up. And had beards too, for the most part. But among this parade of Victorian men, a handful of women did force their way into the plaquemakers’ plans—including the formidable Emma Cons. Born in 1838, Cons grew up near Goodge Street in a working class family with artistic aspirations—her father Frederick was a skilled cabinet and piano case maker. At the age of 14, Cons joined the Ladies Art Guild, a Fitzroy Square cooperative run by Caroline Hill, which helped turn the creative talents of women into gainful employment. It was here that she made friends with the principal’s daughter, Octavia Hill—a relationship that would shape her life. After graduating, Cons found work as a watch engraver, then a stained glass painter. Meanwhile, her friend Octavia, angered by the ugly slums that scarred London, had started a campaign to provide proper housing for the city’s working poor. With investment from John Ruskin, she purchased some previously squalid tenements in Marylebone, known as Paradise Place and Freshwater Place. Her intention was to help the poor, but without sentiment: the business was run for profit, and its strict rules encouraged thrift, hygiene and personal responsibility. Emma Cons was brought in to manage the estates and collect the rent. She threw herself into the job with genuine zeal, proving utterly fearless in dealing with the rough and ready tenants. She was unafraid of hard work, rolling up her sleeves to help out with the renovations. Henrietta Rowland would recall her “mounting ladders, mixing colours, ordering and laughing at the men who, when too inexperienced, backward or perhaps indolent, would show resentment at or disinclination for the job.” In 1869, Julia and Hester Sterling, inspired by Hill and Cons, purchased a block of 38 houses in Marylebone: Walmer Street and Walmer Place. Cons became manager and moved into the building. With a £10 donation, she immediately established a library for tenants, with 300 books. It was a huge success. Less successful was the pub next door which lacked one essential component: plentiful booze. Having witnessed first-hand the destruction wreaked on poor families by drunken husbands and fathers, Cons became deeply involved in the temperance movement. She was honorary secretary of the Coffee Taverns Company, which sought to compete with the city’s dens of iniquity by providing wholesome coffee shops. In 1873, the Walmer Castle coffee tavern was opened right next door to her home, with Cons as its manager. It became a base for her campaigning work, and thrived for a while, but the coffee tavern idea never quite caught on. After moving out of Marylebone, Cons made even more of a mark on London’s Southbank. It was here that she helped found Morley College, an adult education centre for the working classes, and turned the Old Vic theatre into an alcohol-free venue which put on great plays at prices affordable to London’s poor. 10—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 10 31/03/2015 13:44 Alexander Reece Thomson 11 Welbeck Street, London W1G 9XZ Tel: 020 7486 1681 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.artsurveyors.co.uk YOUR LOCAL COMMERCIAL PROPERTY EXPERTS Do you feel you are - Stuck in a rut? In a dead-end? Going nowhere? Esteem can help you to get out and get on. We offer personalised career coaching using the most up-to-date methods to enable our clients to learn how to improve their professional prospects. We can then advise you how to: Medical Retail Restaurants Offices • Sales & Lettings • Dilapidations • Lease Renewals & Rent Reviews • Valuations • Commercial Property Management • Acquisitions & Investments • Development & Town Planning Advice • Business Rates Appeals Providing property expertise for over 35 years in the Marylebone / Harley Street area. For a no obligation chat, feel free to call or email us. A real street address, not a PO box Package acceptance Mail holding and forwarding Worldwide parcel delivery Copy, print, finishing, internet Locate and Select Job Adverts Create and Construct CVs Compose Covering Letters Prepare and Practise Job Interviews Pass Written Assessment Tests Complete Trial Employment Period Your first Session with Esteem will be Free Call us on 020 8441 0469 www.esteemconsulting.com [email protected] Mon-Fri: 8.30-19.00 Sat: 10.00-17.00 Centres also in Notting Hill Gate, Paddington and Kensington 19-21 Crawford Street, London W1H 1PJ 020 7224 2666 [email protected] www.mailboxes-etc.co.uk DIARY DATES, NEWS, REVIEWS, PHOTO GALLERIES, VIDEOS, RECIPES, ARCHIVED ARTICLES marylebonejournal.com @MaryleboneJrnl 11—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 11 31/03/2015 13:44 Up front. Clockwise from far left: Skandium, Pauline Burrows, La Fromagerie, Hardy’s Brasserie & Wine Bar MY PERFECT DAY PAULINE BURROWS The founder, designer and director of the Pauline Burrows boutique on Chiltern Street, describes her perfect day in Marylebone Breakfast It doesn’t matter where I go for breakfast, I’ll always order the same thing— yogurt and granola with fruit. Everyone makes their signature version so it’s not as boring as you might think! I love the laidback vibe of the Chiltern Firehouse, especially when I need some ‘me’ time. I like to go on my own and take my time over coffee: I always have my sketch book with me and swatches of fabric to look at, so it’s the perfect opportunity for quality thinking and design time. The Firehouse granola is nutty—just the way I like it and usually served with berries, yum! A slow leisurely breakfast at the Firehouse is the perfect start to the day. A spot of fresh air I’ll take a walk up Marylebone High Street and do some window shopping. I can’t, however, be ‘out’ and not stop for coffee—that’s impossible, so I’ll pop into La Fromagerie on Moxon Street and have either a violet tea or an americano and, if I need a sugar fix, a large slice of flourless chocolate cake. Shopping I love the clean, simple lines of the furniture in Skandium. Quality materials, understated and beautifully constructed: a similar philosophy, in fact, to my clothing label. Daunt Books is another favourite—a great place to browse... and buy! A new outfit I’m in a great position: if I want an outfit I’ll have it made in my studio. I’m list. If I’m feeling in a party mood I might pop into the Firehouse for one (or two) of their delicious cocktails. I love the furniture in Skandium. Quality materials, understated and beautifully constructed: a similar philosophy, in fact, to my clothing label not a standard size, so like many of my customers I need to have fittings to achieve the perfect proportions. Then, I’ll finish my outfit off with a pair of Tracey Neuls shoes. Culture I might pop into Atlas and take a look at their superb collection of photographs. Pre-dinner drinks I’d go to Le Vieux Comptoir for a perfect glass of champagne or Hardy’s for a glass of red; they have an excellent wine Eating out If I want a relaxed cosy evening I’ll dine at Hardy’s. I’m pescatarian, so if scallops, mussels or cod are on the menu, I’m in luck. I might even have all three. Staying in I have a weakness for scallops, so I’ll get some hand-dived scallops at Fishworks, and maybe some wild sea bass. Then I’ll walk a little further down the high street and buy a Fraisier marzipan cake from Paul. It’s a very light sponge filled with cream and strawberries, covered with the most delicate green marzipan: delicious, and very pretty. I’ll choose a selection of cheese, bread and chutney from La Fromagerie—oh, and I’d better get more of their delicious homemade granola while I’m there! Anything else? If I need a treat, I’ll have a foot pamper at Margaret Dabbs. That will do nicely! 12—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 12 31/03/2015 13:44 Maryleb ALL DAY DINING BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER | AFTERNOON TEA | PRIVATE DINING Marylebone Journal Advert_APRIL_MAY_2015_FINAL.indd mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 13 1 18/03/2015 14:51:58 31/03/2015 13:44 Up front. TEN ALUMNI OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC 1 often been a source of praise than complaint. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 1981 and was a soprano at the English National Opera four years later. Described as “beautifully agile, but totally lacking in affectation” her voice has graced everything from Die Fledermaus and Orlando, to the Sound of Music and Perfect Day. It is a rare artist who can be at once ‘classic’ and ‘popular’; who performs in both operas and West End musicals, without either sparking the ire of critics. Lesley Garrett is one. Born in Yorkshire, her rich, unwavering northern accent has more JOOST EVERS / ANEFO 5 8 Simon Rattle has described his childhood self as “a weird duck… an uncomfortable, overweight, intense boy with this huge passion.” While much has changed during the Liverpudlian’s prodigious, 40-year career as a conductor, 2 Looking back on his alma mater, Reginald Dwight (as he was then known) described it as “a place of meticulous artistry where futures are built”. Yet even the most visionary of Royal Academy of Music students would struggle to imagine a future quite What do you do when the academy’s principal forbids you from playing the works of a favoured composer, on account of his “pernicious influence”? Seek out the privacy of the gents and play anyway, if you’re the cellist John Barbirolli, and the composer in question is Ravel. John loved ‘modern’ music. He would go on to play and conduct much of it throughout his life. Even while he was a young lad at the academy, still going by his birth name of Giovanni, he was dubbed “that excellent young cello player” by the Musical Times and won the Charles Rube Prize— despite his sneaky performances in the academy’s loos. the intensity and huge passion that set him apart as a musician are still very much in place. Having started out—to the delight of nominative determinists everywhere—as a percussionist in the National Youth Orchestra, Sir Rattle proceeded to the Royal Academy of Music in 1971. Aged just 18, he persuaded his peers to perform Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, a piece he repeated this year. This time it was different. The place was the Royal Festival Hall, the orchestra the Berlin Philharmonic. The timing coincided with a welcome announcement: in 2018, Simon Rattle will be returning to Britain to lead the London Symphony Orchestra. His only doubt? “Will they still need me when I’m 64?” 14—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 14 like Elton John’s. Every Saturday for four years the academy nurtured a talent that would transform pop music. Little Reg was just 11 when he became a junior academician, but his energetic fundraising for the purchase of a new organ, plus the provision of a regular scholarship, are testiment to his love of the place where his grand ambitions were first seeded. What do you do when the principal forbids you from playing the works of Ravel? Seek out the privacy of the gents and play it anyway 9 31/03/2015 13:44 REUTERS / MIKE BLAKE It is remarkable enough that anyone can create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. More so if they also happen to be profoundly deaf. Yet Evelyn Glennie is adamant her talent for percussion has nothing to do with the deafness which 6 There’s more to Michael Nyman than the piano, but it’s a good place to start. Not only is he an accomplished performance pianist, having studied the instrument at the Royal Academy of Music, but his score for Jane Campion’s The Piano Born in Accrington in 1934, Harrison Birtwistle is most closely associated with Royal Manchester College of Music, but he did stop over at the academy in 1957— where he completed a postgraduate course in clarinet under Reginald Kell—on his way to becoming the Royal National Theatre’s inaugural music director, a world-famous composer and a knight of the realm. became one of the bestselling film soundtracks of all time. After winning the academy’s Howard Carr Memorial Prize for composition in 1964, he proceeded to write everything from children’s songs to operas, but it is his remarkable scoring and soundtrack work for directors including Peter Greenaway for which he is most widely known. 4 Gleaming behind glass in the Royal Academy of Music’s museum lies Dennis Brain’s battered Alexander horn, salvaged from the mangled wreck of his sports car. When he crashed, fatally, in 1957, Dennis was just 36 years old. He was the offspring of 7 10 MITO SETTEMBREMUSICA 3 has afflicted her since she was 12. Since graduating from the Royal Academy of Music, which accepted her despite her being unable to perform in a full orchestra, she’s won a Grammy, played a quite stunning role in the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony and was recently awarded the Polar Music Prize: music’s equivalent of a Nobel prize. It was during her university year in France that Flott—as soprano Felicity Lott is affectionately known—found her voice. Having set out to be an interpreter, she returned in 1969 to study at the Royal Academy of Music. There she was awarded eminent horn players: his father Aubrey was in fact his professor during his time at the academy, from 1936 until the outbreak of war in 1939. Dennis then joined the RAF Central Band and Symphony Orchestra. By the war’s end he was famous, and so accomplished that he knew most pieces by heart; at concerts, it is claimed, his music stand invariably held a car magazine. When Annie Lennox moved to London from Aberdeen to attend the Royal Academy of Music, she was a wee scrap of a 17-year-old who had to pay her way through her course via cleaning jobs. She left before her exams, threw herself entirely into playing with Dave Stewart in the Eurythmics and became one of the most successful women in pop history. the coveted Principal’s Award, and met Graham Johnson, the pianist with whom she would found the Songmakers’ Almanac, a group renowned for its performance of little known songs. She returned to the academy years later, after a career singing to packed opera houses the world over, to serve as visiting professor and fellow. 15—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_upfront_FINAL.indd 15 31/03/2015 13:44 Features. FROCK OF AGES William Banks-Blaney, Marylebone’s king of vintage, has written a book about the 25 dresses that define a century of high end fashion. He takes the Journal on a guided tour of classic couture INTERVIEW: ELLIE COSTIGAN 16—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 16 31/03/2015 13:44 Lanvin robe de style silk gown 17—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 17 31/03/2015 13:44 Features. Frock of ages “IT’S about celebrating women,” says William Banks-Blaney—a simple summation of his Marylebone boutique, WilliamVintage. It’s also an accurate description of the principles underlying his new book, 25 Dresses: the reason for our presence here today on a plush velvet sofa, in what resembles the dressing room every little girl—and big girl, for that matter—dreams of having, with row upon row of sea green satin, lace, black velvet and smatterings of crystals. Tucked away just off New Cavendish Street, it’s easy to see why WilliamVintage is often described as a shoppers’ haven. Dressed in his signature style—an impeccably tailored jacket, waistcoat and jeans—William’s dimpled smile betrays his obvious pride at the glossy hardback tome in front of us. “I love it,” he says, before I’ve even asked. “It’s so lovely to finally see it in print after months of planning, researching and writing. To see it bound is a really proud moment, and very exciting.” In what is his first publication, William deftly takes us through more than 100 years of fashion: from the iconic Mariano Fortuny delphos dress to Thierry Mugler’s silk ball gowns, and everything in between. But this is far from your ordinary—and let’s face it, often dry—book on vintage fashion. “A lot of vintage books tend to be quite curatorial; about a dress on a mannequin in a case, analysed solely in terms of material and texture,” William laments, “or, at the other end of the spectrum, very rose tinted, with pictures of go-go dancers from the sixties. But vintage is still really relevant today. It impacts the catwalk and inspires 21st century designers—I wanted to show that it’s the mother ship of fashion.” To the uninitiated—of which I am, admittedly, one—a hefty-looking book on vintage fashion, beautiful though it may be, can be somewhat intimidating. But you needn’t know your haute couture from your pret-aporter or your Courrèges from your 18—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 18 31/03/2015 13:45 McQueen for Givenchy haute-couture dress (left) and Chanel flapper Balenciaga to appreciate William’s 25 Dresses. Each stunningly illustrated chapter provides a full description of the dress in question, and an image of the WilliamVintage dress itself alongside both contemporary and catwalk images—many of which you’ll recognise. Some are dresses that have become symbolic of their era, such as the Chanel ‘flapper’ (think Great Gatsby), others are styles that have been so influential on later designers that the cut or style has trickled down to the high street. “When women come in they’ll often look at a dress and immediately recognise it,” says William. “They’ll say, ‘I love that, that shape works well on me’—and that’s not because they’re vintage aficionados, but because you can see that particular pattern cutting in all of the contemporary collections. It’s the template of fashion. People at first can be quite concerned when shopping vintage, but they very quickly start to see the legacy aspect, which is quite magical.” It is one of the reasons that designers such as Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent endure, remaining household names decades after their heyday. Yet more astounding is the effect the dresses designed by these pioneers had on their contemporaries: when Dior introduced what came to be known as the ‘new look’ of the 1940s, for example, (which brought back the slight-waisted, full-skirted silhouette echoing pre-war dress), there was genuine outrage. Times had moved on. Women had become part of the workforce and they wanted clothes to reflect that. Through his discussion of the social and political climate of the time in which each dress was produced, William illustrates not only the changing nature of fashion and iconography of each dress, but maps the progression of women: via the 18th century, formal court-style dresses produced by Lanvin, right through to the avant garde garments designed by the late Alexander McQueen, who constantly challenged the perception of beauty and forced others to do the same, to provocative effect. McQueen’s tendency to challenge conventional ideals of beauty set him apart from his predecessors in an industry that has long been criticised for its portrayal of women and unattainable ideals. The everchanging nature of what’s considered ‘ideal’ is made clear in the pages of 25 Dresses. The all too widely held perception that you must conform to a certain body type to wear a certain style of dress, however, is an assertion William passionately refutes. “Women have been all shapes and sizes since god was a boy. Every woman that comes in, whether they’re a seven-foot supermodel that weighs practically nothing, in their 70s, a size 22 or a size 0, invariably during the appointment, every single woman says ‘I don’t like my…’—fill in the gap. And they just don’t need to. Whether you love fifties, sixties, twenties fashion, there’s something out there for you no matter what your body shape and I wanted the book to really reflect that. There’s always a flavour each season in contemporary fashion: it’s the A-line, it’s bright orange, it’s seventies throwback. But with vintage you have 100 years of fashion to choose from.” That is not to say WilliamVintage is out of sync with contemporary fashion, mind. In fact, every dress William selects for the store is chosen precisely because of its relevance to modern day. “We don’t do vintage handbags, hats, shoes—I can’t stand dress up. I do not believe a woman should leave looking as though she’s stepped straight out of the 1950s. That’s an anathema to me,” he continues, shifting in his seat with abhorrence. “It’s very much about bringing it up to present day; pairing a vintage dress with a clutch from Matches, or something fantastic from the eastern gallery in Selfridges.” The shop itself is a reflection of this ethos. Walking into WilliamVintage, you’d never guess it was anything other than a modern day boutique. Laid out simply according to William’s taste, rather than price— “that’s a very old school approach, which I can’t stand”—£200 LBDs sit alongside original, new look Dior 19—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 19 31/03/2015 13:45 Features. Frock of ages ball gowns that’ll set you back as much as your mortgage. But it’s not all formalwear: “There’s a whole collection I call the ‘drunk dresses’, because they’re great fun and if you fall into a swimming pool after three drinks too many, it’s not the end of the world”—perhaps I can shop here after all. Unlike other high end vintage stores, which often have a section “where someone will check your shoes or handbag before they deign to show you the treasures”, for WilliamVintage, the priority is customer experience. “We’re an appointment-only store, but that’s not because we’re terribly snooty. It’s because I want customers to have the opportunity to come in, throw their coat and bag down and have the place to themselves. You can be yourself, put a dressing gown on, look through the rails, have a cup of coffee and try on different outfits. A lot of women in the area see it as almost a sanctuary.” In fact, WilliamVintage was borne of a desire to step away from the pretentiousness that many high end vintage stores embody. “During a trip to Paris with a girlfriend, we were at a vintage store and the staff were so rude to my friend that they made her cry. I thought, that’s really not how shopping or fashion should be, so I started a pop-up for friends.” William always had a passion for vintage clothing, so he began to sell the items he had picked up on his travels. It proved hugely popular and after several sell-out pop-ups, William opened his store on Marylebone Street in 2009. “I always think if you’re paying money for something and you’re not smiling at the end of it, somebody isn’t doing their job properly. It should be lovely. Your confidence should be boosted, you should laugh, maybe have a glass of champagne. Enjoy yourself. And that’s really missing from a lot of retail experiences,” says William. And clearly, his approach is working. Dubbed ‘the king of vintage’ by Vogue, WilliamVintage has developed faithful followers—be it successful, local women or celebrities. “Whether it’s for the red carpet or for wearing to work, nobody wants to be a sheep. Vintage gives you that ability to express yourself and your personality more so than with contemporary fashion. Just as a piece of antique jewellery can have magic to it, with vintage there’s the sense that it’s something that’s lasted and been loved a really long time.” Such vast success in so short a period of time has, not surprisingly, entailed a lot of work. William selects all of the dresses himself and he finds them all over the world. Not only has he written a book, he has appeared on The Rachel Zoe Project in the US; has made guest appearances on Channel 4’s This Old Thing; directed Oxfam’s fashion campaign; he’s a style ambassador for American Express and has given talks at the V&A, Condé Nast College of Fashion and the London Fashion and Textile museum. It’s a wonder he has any time to be at the shop at all. “It’s a heavy workload, but I try and be present as much as possible,” he says. “I’m very hands-on with it, I’ll always be floating about if not doing the final fitting. It’s my company. It’s important.” What’s clear is William’s genuine love for what he does—not only for vintage clothes, but every aspect of his job. Yet despite all of the glamorous TV and public appearances, what William enjoys most is what brought him here in the first place: buying dresses. “It doesn’t have to be a fantastically exciting dress, I just love that moment of discovery. Whether it’s a jawdroppingly fantastic museum grade couture, or just a beautiful dress that I look at and think, this is perfect for a customer to put on their back and walk down Marylebone High Street. It makes no difference to the joy of finding it.” So what’s William’s favourite dress? “I couldn’t possibly narrow it down to just one dress. But one experience that stands out for me is a visit to Devon with a friend of mine. She had asked me several times to come with her to visit her mother, who had kept all of her clothes from the sixties. Eventually, we went down there and found ourselves in a barn with a decrepit looking wardrobe in the corner. I opened up the doors expecting some simple dresses—and she had 17 pieces of the Courrèges couture collection from 1967, in perfect condition. It turned out she had known Gabrielle Chanel, André Courrèges, Yves Saint Laurent— she had fittings with all the names above the door. She used to live next door to Audrey Hepburn and they would fly to Paris together to have clothes made. You never know what you’re going to find. It’s like being a treasure hunter.” 25 DRESSES: ICONIC MOMENTS IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY FASHION By William Banks-Blaney Quadrille, £30 20—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 20 31/03/2015 13:45 I always think if you’re paying money for something and you’re not smiling at the end of it, somebody isn’t doing their job properly 21—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 21 31/03/2015 13:45 Features. The Beaumont Street house opened in 1869 with room for 50 babies, and the sisters were almost immediately fully booked 22—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 22 31/03/2015 13:45 CHILDREN’S CRUSADE The heartwarming story of London’s first crèche WORDS: TOM HUGHES THE ongoing baby boom in Greater London— supposedly at its most fecund in the SW postal codes (aka Nappy Valley)—has created a massive demand for childcare. There’s even a daycare centre in Parliament Street for the exclusive use of the toddlers of MPs, but (at least according to the typically whinging Daily Mail) it is so seldom used that it has become a “grotesque waste of public money”. In the private sector, parents paying from their own pockets have a range of options. The modern crèche can range from quite posh—kitted out with cribs that swing or glide, changing mats, sterilisers and 24-hour bottle warmers—to a simple line of cots and nappy buckets overseen by a youngish ‘nanny’. When she’s not texting her mates, that is. While the social scientists and psychologists can debate the wisdom of ‘daycare’, the simple economic truth is that affordable childcare is essential for most working parents. There were no crèches in London until 1869, when an aristocratic lady from Marylebone, joined by a group of her well-heeled friends, established one on Beaumont Street. The setting was quite near to “some of the worst courts of Marylebone, in which a storm of drunkenness, foul language, and gross conduct seems perpetually to rage, even in the broadest day, and where every sense is assailed by causes of horror and disgust”. Mary Teresa Clifford, the 12th Baroness Petre lived not far away from these blighted alleys but in much more salubrious accommodations at 57 Portland Place. A devout Catholic, she was the mother of 12, including a “bevy of good looking and divinely tall daughters”, three of whom became nuns. In the 1860s the Victorian peeress had recoiled at the horrors exposed by a series of infanticide scandals. For years, mothers (and fathers, too, of course) without the money, time or interest had turned their tiny bairns over to ‘baby-farmers’. For a few pennies, these so-called lying-in houses would take in babies by the score and dose them with cordials, including the infamously lethal, ‘mother’s friend’. The British Medical Journal was the first to shine light on the “abominable system”. One of their undercover investigators, meeting with the crone-like matron of one such establishment, was assured that “my children all sleep sound”, as she laughed a little laugh. The thoughtful public asked, “What can be done for the little ones?” In April 1868, Lady Petre announced her appeal for donations, citing as patrons both the Pope and the archbishop of Westminster. A forlorn lodging house at 16 Beaumont Street had been acquired and the Sisters of Mercy from the order of 23—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 23 31/03/2015 13:45 Features. Children’s crusade St Vincent de Paul were employed to manage the crèche for the “children of the Roman Catholic poor”. The crèche was dedicated to the memory of Benedict Joseph Labre, an eccentric French mystic who gave up all his worldly goods to live in rags in the Roman Coliseum. The house rules in the crèche were simple. Children under three may be left by their mothers from 6am until 8:30pm. Nursing mothers would be allowed to return twice a day. The infants were to be bathed, clothed and tended carefully by the sisters. Two meals would be served: a main meal of “excellent bread and milk and nourishing soup, such as is good for them”, then another round of milk and bread. The cost was three-pence for one child, four for two and an extra penny if they were kept after 6pm. Payment was expected daily, but employed women could settle up on payday. No child could be left overnight and, regrettably, any child left three days would be considered abandoned. The Beaumont Street house opened in 1869 with room for 50 babies, and the sisters were almost immediately fully booked. Many of the children were the offspring of the area’s large community of milk maids. These rural ladies— as a group, they were known to be “ruddyblooming wenches”—plied the streets all day, carrying their weighty yoke of clanging pails, while they cried out “milk below!” Lady Petre’s novel effort in Marylebone quickly attracted attention. The crèche was open for visitors each afternoon from 2pm till 5pm. A reporter from The Times paid an early call and was greeted by a “very jovial chorus”. He was much taken with the Lilliputiansized furniture. The caring nuns, each in her starched white cornette (hence the sobriquet “flying nun”), bustled about at their tasks while their tiny charges displayed an attitude of “supreme contentment”. The older tots were eager to display for visitors their newly learned skill of making the sign-of-the-cross. The man from The Times concluded that he had witnessed “the germ of an institution that may supply one of the greatest wants of the labouring poor of London”. The Lancet asserted that it was “incumbent upon all medical journalists to express our hearty approbation”. Lady Petre would vigorously contest all claimants to her title of originator of the crèche in London, although some will tout the case for Marie Hilton, a quaker missionary who set up a similar effort in the East End But another observer made the poignant comment that echoes a century and a half later, noting that the peace, cleanliness and care the children received each day was something “far removed from the sounds, smells, and hideous squalor of their own court-homes. That they must return thither at night is as yet a sad necessity, but at least their days are spent healthily and well.” Lady Petre was grateful for the kind words and praise, but more money was needed. Fundraising concerts were held to support her effort. Beaumont Street had been quickly found to be unsuitable and a search was launched for a larger, airier location. In 1870, Sister Joseph and her nuns moved to new quarters in Marylebone at 4 Bulstrode Street, Manchester Square. The idea, of course, quickly spread. About the only criticism to be heard came from the Francophobe sector. The first crèche had opened in Paris in 1844 but one John Bullish journal blustered, “We hope to see it drop its foreign name, and be called, as it is, in good English, a day nursery.” Alas, crèche has held strong, if perhaps only in avant-garde circles. But by the 1870s, in Marylebone, there were soon more than a dozen “infant day nurseries”. St Andrew’s, Wells Street, stepped up quickly for the Church of England. In these early days nearly all such facilities were affiliated with church or chapel and served the families within their congregation. Lady Petre would vigorously contest all claimants to her title of originator of the crèche in London, although some will tout the case for Marie Hilton, a quaker missionary who set up a similar effort in the East End, where the locals called it a “crouch”. Lady Petre died in 1895 but in Bulstrode Street, the children of the working poor “slept in tiny cribs and rocked in cosy cradles” cared for by the good sisters until well into the 20th century. The original Beaumont Street site of London’s first crèche, however, is long gone, as are the “squalid courts” that were home to most of the mothers. In today’s London, the real estate glossies now celebrate how Beaumont Street has become terribly chic and is “ideally situated for all the amenities of the high street”. Watch out for the prams. 24—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 24 31/03/2015 13:45 mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 25 31/03/2015 13:45 Features. Daniel Fiteni (left) and Warren Dean 26—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 26 31/03/2015 13:45 PULLING POWER The Joint—with its Brixton roots and its messy menu of pulled pork and ribs— might not have seemed an obvious fit for the elegant environs of Marylebone, but that hasn’t stopped diners of all ages piling in to get their hands dirty. Co-founders Warren Dean and Daniel Fiteni talk to the Marylebone Journal about secret bread recipes, Brixton prison and why burgers are boring WORDS: CLARE FINNEY IMAGES: JOSEPH FOX IT was the winter of 2013 and one of the Howard de Walden Estate’s restaurant units had become vacant on New Cavendish Street. Its size—two floors, sizeable bar area, spacious kitchen—and its location in one of London’s culinary epicentres made it instantly covetable. Established chains drooled over it. A Michelin-starred chef applied, fighting off fierce competition to get down to the last two bidders: his upscale operation versus a small, little-known pulled pork joint from Brixton. It looked like a mismatch— until some intrepid folks from the Estate ventured south of the river, to Brixton Village market, and had a meal. Within days, the team behind The Joint—chef Warren Dean and baker Daniel Fiteni—had the keys to their new restaurant. “We hadn’t even considered Marylebone until that point. It was one of the only places in London we didn’t,” Daniel laughs. “We thought, wow. Marylebone is ready for this?”—this being 16-hour pulled pork on a sourdough bun, topped with lashings of barbecue sauce and served with fries on a recycled sugarcane paper plate. 27—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 27 31/03/2015 13:45 Features. Pulling power It seemed hard to fathom in so genteel an area, but the pair didn’t need persuading. “As soon as we saw the village, we thought, we’ll stay.” At first they considered “dressing the food up” to suit the area’s attractive environs, but when they looked at what was selling they made a surprising discovery. “In Marylebone, even more than in Brixton, customers love dirty food,” Daniel grins. “The dirtier the better.” The pair look round furtively, as if letting me in on a secret. “We did cheesy fries with smoked bacon and béchamel sauce as a special, and they loved it. We’ve sold more of those than we have normal fries. Same with deep fried mac and cheese. Sometimes people here just want that kind of food.” Their promise is simple: “Try the food, and you will come back again. Guaranteed.” It’s not without foundation, as even by Marylebone’s standards the quality of their offering is high. Jay Rayner’s a fan, so too is Tom Kerridge, who featured them on his Best Ever Dishes series. “He was originally just going to cover the sauce, but then he tried the food and ended up featuring an entire beef brisket,” Warren smiles as he remembers. “The kitchen was tiny, because we’d only just opened really. But when we apologised for it he laughed and said he remembers when his kitchen looked just like ours.” “Get the food right, and people won’t care where it’s cooked, or who made it,” Tom told them wisely. Ten months on, The Joint’s success in Marylebone proves his point. When we visit on a Wednesday night, the place is packed with sticky fingered diners from all walks of life: suits, students, couples, older people, all knuckle deep in barbecue sauce and rib bones. “We did not expect this,” says Dan, gleefully. “We expected a young crowd, not 60-something dentists from Harley Street as regulars. They look a bit dubious when they first come in,” he continues. “Then they eat.” The dishes belie the décor—not that the pared walls and graffitied peacock mural aren’t beautiful, but it’s not to everyone’s tastes. Most Marylebone eateries stick to formality when it comes to interiors. Yet with fresh food sourced locally and recipes created themselves—an award-winning chef and a prodigious baker—Daniel and Warren don’t need to rely on their restaurant being pretty to be popular. Which is just as well—for when my burger comes, it is anything but pretty. Sweet, succulent pork flakes over my fingers and smoky sauce, coleslaw and salsa burst brightly forth. Barbecued sweetcorn in a brown paper bag and cheesy chips on a (recycled) paper plate are delivered by a girl sporting jeans, a t-shirt and an enormous grin. “Just because the waiter has a tie and a waistcoat and the bill comes to £400 doesn’t mean the food is any good,” Warren continues. “The Joint is the place you come to for something fun and delicious, when you’re sitting at home and fancy a meal out. It’s like a cool family barbecue. No one leaves thinking what a waste of cash THAT was, because people weren’t dressed up.” Hailing from South Africa and Australia, the pair are well versed in the pleasures and pitfalls of barbecuing. “If they served in Australia what some of the burger places serve here, you’d be on the front page of every newspaper—and not in a good way,” says Daniel. “Rare? It doesn’t exist in Australia. They burn the shit out of their meat.” The pair laugh together at the idea of Australians slow roasting pork for hours. “They simply do not have the patience,” says Daniel. “Yet because the produce there is fresh and good quality, their burgers taste juicy even when they’re fried until black.” When it came to The Joint, both he and South African Warren were determined to source the best British meat; not because they want to cremate it, but because they know how much it matters both to the environment and to the overall flavour. “What makes the difference here is that we’ve made sure everything, from the coleslaw to the cocktails, is 10 out of 10.” The pork’s from Ginger Pig, the beef from a quality butcher in Mayfair, and the vegetables—yes, there are greens here—hail fresh from Brixton market. “Other places treat sides as secondary. We give them as much focus as the meat.” The bread is a case in point. Fluffy, slightly moist and tinged with a slight buttercup yellow tinge, its origins lie in a Christmas cake Daniel was making for his first cafe, Burnt Toast. “I’d soaked the figs for a month, then tried some with the pork and thought, shit this is good.” He devised a recipe—a sourdough roll infused with figgy and vanilla flavours—and The Joint started to roll. These buns are NOT brioche. That much is hammered into me: if there’s one way to make Dan and Warren lose their good humour, it is to make that fundamental mistake. “For one thing, it takes nine to 10 hours to make just one of our bread rolls. Brioche is relatively easy,” Dan continues, “but there is nothing easy about these. No one else does them and because it’s so hard to copyright recipes, we don’t sell them individually.” Beyond Dan and his baker Bridget Hugo, revolutionary co-founder of the pioneering pizza place Franco Manca, no one really knows what makes The Joint’s bread rolls such an orgasmic experience: no one, that is, except a few convicted criminals at Brixton Prison. 28—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 28 31/03/2015 13:45 Just because the waiter has a tie and a waistcoat and the bill comes to £400 doesn’t mean the food is any good. The Joint is like a cool family barbecue. No one leaves thinking what a waste of cash THAT was, because people weren’t dressed up Warren Dean In Marylebone, even more than in Brixton, customers love dirty food. The dirtier the better Daniel Fiteni 29—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 29 31/03/2015 13:45 Features. Pulling power Food was exciting. People seemed to care. They were no longer obsessed with French cuisine and there was a street food culture that wasn’t just bacon baps off the motorway Warren Dean This needs some context. Brixton Prison’s Bad Boys’ Bakery, a state of the art bakery founded by Gordon Ramsay, was established in 2012 as a social enterprise to give prisoners the confidence and skills to move on after they leave. Dan and Warren used the bakery to supply the Brixton restaurant. “I did three weeks of working there, training the guys specifically on this bread and more generally on how to bake with poorer equipment than they have in that kitchen,” says Dan. Gordon, being Gordon, had spared no expense in getting the best kit possible, but the students needed to be able to do far more with far less if they were going to get a job after leaving. “It’s very rare these days to find a baker that can actually bake sourdough bread and miche and so on. Learning this will give them more knowledge than many bakers who have been baking for years. In the hospitality industry it largely doesn’t matter who you are, provided you can cook,” Dan explains. “With rare skills you can find a job quite quickly.” Indeed, one of The Joint’s most senior employees, the guy who runs the prep kitchen, is a Bad Boys’ Bakery alumnus. Though the demands of The Joint have now outgrown Bad Boys’ Bakery, Dan still teaches there. “It’s good to give something back,” he says. Both know what it’s like to put in the hard graft. If the Marylebone restaurant seems somewhat, well, minimal in its interior aesthetic, it’s by virtue of necessity: The Joint was born of their own savings, business loans being thin on the ground these days. Equally remarkable is the pair’s absolute absence of qualifications in their trades. Warren learnt on the job in various eateries around the world, Dan in his brother’s restaurant chain in Australia as front of house. Only when he moved to London nine years ago did he acquire and cultivate his flair for baking, at the award-winning Breads Etcetera in Clapham. Of course, London’s food scene nine years ago was a very different beast compared to now. “On my days off I used to get a train to Oxford Circus from Brixton just to get a coffee from Flat White. It was the only decent place for coffee in London.” He sighs somewhat wistfully. “They are everywhere now of course. I kind of wish I’d been the one to bring antipodean coffee culture here.” In the future, historians will remain divided about when London’s food scene finally took off. Was it Russell Norman or Fergus Henderson who started it? Was it restaurateurs or artisans? Either way, Warren remembers, when he came to London again in 2011 everything had changed. “Food was exciting. People seemed to care. They were no longer obsessed with French cuisine and there was a street food culture that wasn’t just bacon baps off the motorway,” he grimaces. Hard as it might be to imagine now, there was a time before high end burger joints. Neither Warren nor Dan has much truck with the burger craze. “There are about 400 carbon copies of the same chain. Plus burgers have been around for ever!” Warren complains. “All they’ve done is undercook the burger and over-inflate the price.” One of the reasons he alighted upon pulled pork as a concept was because no one else was doing it at the time. “It’s popular now, but when we set up it was mostly American.” Add Warren’s rub of smoked spice and smoked salt and you’ve a meal that was, and still is, very special, not least for its potential to come complete with sides of sticky ribs, grilled sweetcorn, and coleslaw with a cabbage-carrotmayonnaise ratio right out of Plato’s Forms. “It’s the combination that has stood the test of time,” Dan muses, as the smell of pulled pork intensifies and the first of the lunchtime crowd pull up at the rustic wooden tables. “Great produce, the bread rolls, the sauces and rubs Warren came up with. That’s what stands us in good stead.” Their growing crowd of followers seem to agree. Later that evening, dinner draws an eclectic mix of diners, all keen to get the hands dirty and their appetites sated. The Joint may have been an outside bet for Marylebone— but it’s definitely winning. THE JOINT 19 New Cavendish Street, W1G 9TZ. 020 7486 3059 the-joint.co.uk 30—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 30 31/03/2015 13:45 The private bank for literature SHORT STORY STNMAST2008 AWARD Proud sponsors of: – The Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award. – The Althorp Literary Festival. – The Charleston Festival, incorporating the CharlestonEFG John Maynard Keynes Prize. – Small Wonder, Charleston’s short story festival. – EFG Words and Wickets, Wormsley. – The Authors XI cricket team. Practitioners of the craft of private banking Contact: Andrew Imlay, Managing Director – Private Banking • [email protected] EFG is the marketing name for EFG International and its subsidiaries. In the UK: EFG Private Bank Limited, Leconfield House, Curzon Street, London W1J 5JB, T + 44 20 7491 9111. EFG Private Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. EFG Private Bank Limited is a member of the London Stock Exchange. Registered in England and Wales no. 2321802. Registered office as above. Member of EFG International. www.efginternational.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 31 EFG - 200x250 mm +3mm bleed - quadri - publication: Marylebone Journal, April / May issue (17.03.2015) 31/03/2015 13:45 Features. SUPPORT ACT The Marylebone Journal pays a visit to one of the area’s oldest institutions, The Royal Society of Musicians WORDS: CLARE FINNEY THE Royal Society of Musicians was once celebrated by Charles Dickens for being “the real thing; because it was in fact as well as in name a society of musicians. Not a heterogeneous concourse of nondescripts and toadies… but an association of professional gentlemen all animated by a love of common art.” They had formed “a benefit society to make provision of relief, not of their own age, distress or infirmities, but of those casualties in the lives of their less fortunate brethren, of their widows and orphan children,” the author of Oliver Twist continued, to enthusiastic applause from his audience. Writing about the society 155 years later, my sentences are shorter and significantly less eloquent than Dickens’s—but his sentiment, expressed at the Freemason’s Tavern in 1860, is mine too. It is an astonishing institution. Founded in 1738 by three musicians when they stumbled across the penniless orphans of their recently deceased friend outside the Haymarket theatre, its inaugural meeting in a London tavern saw George Frideric Handel, Edward Purcell (Henry’s son) and William Boyce among the signatories. Though it began life as “the fund for decay’d musicians”, its duty—to provide immediate financial aid to musicians out of work due to illness or accident—and its customs have 32—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 32 31/03/2015 13:45 continued unchanged ever since. The society still meets on the first Sunday of each month, it consists entirely of musicians, and it even holds the same bank account at Drummonds, part of Royal Bank of Scotland. If it ain’t broke, why fix it, seems to be the attitude of the members—and with 275 years behind them, it is hard to disagree. They are on fine form. I’m at their headquarters in Marylebone: a tall, 18th century townhouse tucked just off Oxford Street, on Stratford Place. The house is humming with anticipation as, that evening, Wigmore Hall will host the first concert to be performed in aid of the society for several years. In a tradition which stretches back to the 18th century, three marches have been specially commissioned— penned by the society’s president, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, and two other members in honour of the occasion. Three Marches for 3rd March is the event’s title, and in a few hours I’ll hear it: a triumph of musicianship played to a full house, after years of the society eschewing concerts in favour of quieter fundraising methods. For now, there’s work to be done. I’m here with archivist Colin Coleman to find out how and why it has endured this long. He shares his birthday with the society, 23rd April, and colleagues frequently jest he has been here since it began. Its success is partly down to patronage. From the start, the society has received the boon of some of Britain’s most respected celebrities: “musical, royal and otherwise,” says Colin. George III was a patron, and Handel was at its inaugural meeting and put his name to the Declaration of Trust in 1738. Not only did Handel compose, perform and pay for many of the first fundraising concerts, he left a vital codicil: “£1,000—the biggest donation to us for 50 years,” Colin says happily. Solely dependent on subscriptions until that point, with Handel’s windfall in its sails the society was able to fly. Things went from strength to strength. This was, after all “the burgeoning age of philanthropy”, says Colin, “and the society was not averse to honorary subscribers.” In return for their donations, the “lords and ladies of the land” would be invited to fundraising concerts. Of course, in those days such occasions were rather more lavish affairs than tonight’s event. “One record describes a certain amount of beer, certain amount of sherry, and a bottle of wine—per person,” Colin chuckles. All this, mountains of food and—in the 19th century—an eloquent address from celebrated non-members like Dickens, Sullivan or Irving, in addition to hearing some of the finest musicians in history, occasionally for the first time on English soil. “Franz Liszt, when he first came to London aged 12, played first at one of the Royal Society’s concerts,” recounts Colin. “Clara Schumann, wife of Robert Schumann, played here too. Though she said it was too rowdy to play again.” Both Haydn and Weber wrote for it. Visiting in 1792, Haydn was blown away by the sheer size of the orchestra playing in the Handel Commemoration Concerts, organised and performed by the society to celebrate the centenary of Handel’s birth. “It was a landmark event in history. There had never been so many members of an orchestra. They had to erect a special scaffold in Westminster Abbey to accommodate them.” Little wonder that Haydn honoured them with a specially written Grand March. You can see the autograph upstairs in the grand room in which the society’s meetings are held. Encased in glass at the back, its yellowing pages stamped on both sides with an ‘if found’ mark, it looks almost incidental to the Robert Adam décor, and you’d never guess it was the original score. “It’s hard to believe now, but the society actually lost this score many years ago and it turned up in a bookshop. When they got it back, the librarian at the time stamped it all over, presumably so they wouldn’t lose it again,” Colin says, wincing. “Musicians being musicians, he clearly did not think much to the value and posterity of such an important piece.” It’s a longstanding problem. The merits of being run “by musicians for musicians” are incalculable, but there are a few downsides, admits Colin. Chief among them is the sense of apathy musicians tend to feel when it comes to admin. “They are very focused on their artistic endeavours, and not necessarily attuned to… the formalities,” he says diplomatically. When he joined the society, his first job was to stop documents being discarded: minute books, cash books, programmes which were deemed irrelevant by the current generation of members, but will intrigue the future as much as the 18th century versions do today. “I said, ‘You need to keep this stuff, in 100 years’ time, people will wonder!” he laughs exasperatedly. 33—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 33 31/03/2015 13:45 Features. Support act It was a landmark event in history. There had never been so many members of an orchestra. They had to erect a special scaffold in Westminster Abbey to accommodate them Colin’s job as archivist is to ensure all ‘working material’ is filed away properly, to keep abreast of existing records and answer family history queries, of which there are a great many. He leads me down into the archives: a surprisingly small room at the bottom of a steep staircase, brim-full of bookshelves. “Here is an application recommending violinist Charles Alexander Seymour as a member,” he says, pulling out a soft faded sheaf of forms from behind ‘S’ in the filing cabinet. Comprising birth certificates, marriage certificates and details of children, it is a genealogist’s dream. Behind the membership form, dated less than a year later, lies an application for assistance. Charles is in a ‘consumptive state’ says the doctor’s note. “He went to Scotland in hopes that change of air would have been of service to him, but without any benefit arising therefrom is now at Lisbon.” Penned in fine, calligraphic hand, the note is comically antiquated and yet so vividly real, it takes your breath away. Open up another file and you’ll find programmes for Anniversary Festivals from the 18th century onwards, together with tonight’s programme, already in there, gleaming brightly at the top. So much has changed. Prior to the birth of the welfare state, musicians unable to work relied solely on savings or philanthropy. The society was the only constant source of assistance. Now we’ve state support, in theory at least, and other health insurers. Even Seymour’s complaint of consumption, an archaic word for tuberculosis, is outdated. Deference to tradition and history aside, do professionals really need the Royal Society of Musicians today? The answer, to judge by the evening concert, is a loud yes. “We are honoured to be playing in support of such a worthwhile and vital cause,” says Ben Hancox of the Sacconi Quartet. Too well do the members and musicians themselves, of course, understand the insecurity that their career presents. They have no sick leave, holiday, nor pensions to speak of. Lose your voice as a vocalist, break a finger as an instrumentalist and you’re out of work until you are better. The welfare state and savings can only do so much for someone whose income is so utterly dependent on physical health. Nor is that all they do. Based here in Marylebone, they are blessed in having Harley Street’s medical prestige at their fingertips, including Katherine Butler, who specialises in the treatment of hands and upper limb conditions. “Words cannot describe how many lives are transformed by their assistance,” she says of the society, which has been based at Stratford Place since the 1920s and has thus garnered many such connections with specialists such as Katherine. “They are supportive and practical, and enable musicians to swiftly access medical assistance and rehabilitation that may not be available on the NHS. Their help enables musicians to play, teach and perform again, which ensures that future generations can also learn and develop through music.” Rehabilitation, counselling, consultations with financial advisors, the Fine Instrument Scheme for young musicians—these too are part of their offering to musicians, and to the musical world at large. It is the last that is most noticeable during this evening’s event: three rare, antique cellos, singing out under the talented hands of cellists Guy Johnston, Cara Berridge and Brian O’Kane. All three date from the 18th century, or earlier still. The silence of the audience is palpable as, with hair-raising clarity, the strains of Frank Bridge’s Novelletten for String Quartet rings out through the chamber on a cello from 1781. In 1860, Dickens declared that the society’s story, “like the stories told in the Arabian night, has now been going on for 122 years, but it may well go on for 1001. So long as mankind live and love, so long as their nature is sensitive, affectionate and grateful, music can never cease.” Let us hope, for all our sake, that in another 155 years’ time, Dickens’s prescient words still hold true. ROYAL SOCIETY OF MUSICIANS 10 Stratford Place, W1C 1BA 020 7629 6137 royalsocietyofmusicians.org 34—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 34 31/03/2015 13:45 C&C_M FOR BEAUTIFUL LIVING 8 8 M A R Y L E B O N E H I G H S T R E E T, L O N D O N W 1 W W W. C O L O G N E A N D C OT TO N . C O M C&C_Marylebone_Ad(3.15).indd 1 mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 35 19/03/2015 13:45 15:45 31/03/2015 Features. Jane Packer flower arrangements may exude effortless elegance, but behind the scenes a huge amount of effort and teamwork goes into their creation. The Marylebone Journal spends a day behind the curtain of one of the world’s most famous floristry companies WORDS: JEAN-PAUL AUBIN-PARVU IMAGES: JOSEPH FOX 36—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 36 31/03/2015 13:45 37—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 37 31/03/2015 13:45 Features. In bloom “SOME people come into the industry thinking it’s about making pretty bouquets and it’s all just lovely, which it is, but they don’t understand quite how tough it can be at times.” Louise Govier, manager at Jane Packer, is describing the cut, prune and thrust of floristry. The job can be very physical, exhausting and dirty. The hours are often long. So why put herself through it? “It’s really rewarding,” she beams. “And I love creating something from nothing. When you do an event at a bland venue and then you and your team walk out a few hours later having transformed it it’s a great feeling.” Louise is used to early starts. She and colleague Polly Parry-Jones stride with purpose through New Covent Garden Flower Market and it’s not even 7am. Jane Packer sources much of its living, breathing, working materials from Dutch supplier FleuraMetz, but the rest comes from early morning raids at this fabulously fragrant flower market. Many of the world’s flowers are grown in Holland, Ecuador, Colombia and Kenya, which are then sold to wholesalers through Dutch auctions. Louise stops at Quality Plants, a trusted supplier, to inspect orchids, house plants and succulents, then does a bit of business with Bobby from Alagar. She is soon the proud owner of hydrangeas, sunflowers, lilies and a very particular shade of rose. These are needed to make up orders that came in late yesterday. GARY WALLIS, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF JANE PACKER How did you come to be working in the business? Jane was my girlfriend, so I was involved from day one. I got drawn in more and more until I was working in the business full-time. Then we got married. We worked well together and it just seemed natural. Dennis Edwards Flowers has roses of all colours and shades. “Surely there can’t be this many colours,” I ponder, but Louise assures me these roses are all natural rather than dyed. Louise buys a few pink carnations from Dennis “ just because they look nice”. The market is alive with florists. Two young gents in winter coats and natty scarfs discuss which flowers should be earmarked for the “royal suite”. Out in the loading bay a florist grappling with an enormous bush finally manages to stuff most of it through the back doors of his van. Louise and Polly load their purchases far more carefully. Half an hour later we arrive at New Cavendish Street. The workroom is located in the basement, which has How did Jane get into flowers? She started working at a florists on Saturdays while she was at school and spent her entire first day’s wages on flowers. She was totally besotted and ended up doing a City & Guilds in floristry at Southwark College. Jane then became the florist at a hotel in Charing Cross, which was around the time I met her. But it was during a recession and the hotel budgets were squeezed until her job was so difficult, she decided to leave. What was her next move? Jane had very strong views about how flowers should look, but realised there were no flower businesses out there that would be willing to accommodate what she wanted to do. So she decided to give up floristry and went to work for a knitwear company in St Christopher’s Place called Artwork. As an assistant to the designer she bumped into photographers, graphic artists, fashion 38—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 38 31/03/2015 13:45 designers—people who were her age but all working independently to carve out their chosen career. And that was a lightbulb moment. Jane realised that if she wanted to pursue her passion for flowers she’d have to get out there and develop a career for herself. The first Jane Packer shop opened on James Street, Mayfair in 1982. What was floristry like back then? There were two real leaders at that time. There was a guy called Kenneth Turner who did a lot of parties and functions. He did very grand, interesting things using a lot of dried flowers, but everything was big and dramatic. Then there’s Pulbrook & Gould on Sloane Street, who had more of a country style. They pandered to the wealthy. But they were notable in that they did things differently to other florists. Most did very staid flower arrangements and only really catered for births, weddings and funerals. Describe Jane’s vision. Jane saw flowers as something everyone should have in their lives. Back then supermarkets didn’t sell flowers or if they did, they didn’t sell them in a very nice way. They’d do bunches of daffodils tied up in a rubber band. She also thought flowers should be part of the worlds of fashion and interiors. Jane Packer seem to set trends rather than follow them… Our mantra is “innovate, don’t imitate”. None of us work in a vacuum, we are all influenced by things—use that creative spark that made you like it to do something new. Always innovate; that’s what Jane did. In the early eighties things went through quite a retro, Victorian phase. Everything was stripped pine, that kind of thing. But Jane would bring flowers into London from growers who weren’t traditional suppliers to florists and raid the hedgerows. Her thing was to bring the country into the city. Wasn’t Jane invited to do the bridal flowers for a certain royal wedding in 1986? We used to do work for Brides Magazine, a Conde Nast publication. Jane would often be on set and got friendly with the make-up artists and hairdressers. One day, a hairdresser called Denise phoned and said: “I’d like you to come down to the salon. I have this client who wants to talk to you about flowers.” Jane was really tired and asked if they could fix an appointment for another day. But Denise replied: “No! I think she’d really like to see you now.” So Jane went to the salon and there was Sarah Ferguson, who was about to become the Duchess of York. Jane Packer was selected to design and produce the “victory bouquet” for the medal winners at the London 2012 Olympics. That must have been a very proud moment. Proud is probably too simple a word. Right from the very beginning we were privy to information, things that were going to happen that nobody else knew about. The organisation was top notch. I was privileged enough to have to go down to the stadium to do a number of things including a radio interview. The atmosphere and the can-do attitude of everybody was astonishing. The whole thing was incredible. Any other highlights? We’ve done hundreds of big jobs over the years and we love doing them. But, like I said earlier, Jane’s vision was to sell flowers to whoever has a passion for them. We’re not about celebrity. We’re not about big events. We are about good quality flowers and introducing new varieties wherever we can. There’s a bit of a joke at the market. If they have a new variety of flower and the other florists aren’t keen, they’ll say: “Oh don’t worry, Jane Packer will buy it.” And we have to. If there’s a new variety we just can’t not buy it. It’s in our DNA. Jane sadly passed away in 2011. What did she bring to floristry? She brought a freshness of approach, youth, creativity, a lack of blinkers. A new way of thinking about how you could use flowers. Very early on someone described Jane as a breath of fresh air in the world of flowers. That’s a good description. She turned everything on its head. tunnels leading off to nooks filled with vases and bowls of glass, clay and the shiniest metal. The plants and flowers are stored in the cold areas. Louise sits at one workbench and begins making up an order for the Welsh Office, filling wooden boxes with gorgeous miniature yellow tetea-tete daffodils. Her colleague Helen Edwards is busily creating a bouquet of sunflowers interwoven with deep green hebe foliage. She cuts the long stem of each sunflower and surrounds the hand-tied bouquet with crimped yellow tissue and frosted cellophane paper, before gently lowering it into an elegant square black box. There are many strings to Jane Packer’s signature bow. Upstairs on the ground floor is the shop and the flower school, where the courses range from beginners and recreational, right through to advanced career courses. Here in the workroom Louise and her colleagues deal with the sameday delivery telephone orders, which arrive with alarming regularity, as well as the more straightforward contracts. A business-to-business team looks after the higher maintenance contracts with swanky restaurants, luxury hotels and private dwellings. “The b-to-b team start at four in the morning,” says Louise. “They flit in and out during the day, but are on the road most of the time.” As well as being an international name, Jane Packer is a truly local business; as well as serving the Marylebone public in the shop, the team may be called upon to do the flowers for a wedding at The Langham or the Christmas installations at The London Clinic. They also provide arrangements for events, ranging from glitzy parties to magazine shoots. “A lot of the bridal magazines approach us. They send us a brief of what they’d like, we make it up, then send it over to them to photograph,” says Louise. Latest recruit Helena Willcocks is upstairs in the shop making everything just so. Bold, bright plants in even bolder, brighter pink pots stand proud outside the shop, while inside glass vases burst with fancy flowers such as clematis, 39—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 39 31/03/2015 13:45 Features. In bloom phalaenopsis, ranunculus. What a pity the Journal doesn’t do scratch ‘n’ sniff, because the smell is incredible. Polly and Ahmed are running the advanced course at the flower school. Polly has the students delicately weaving pink cymbidium orchids through red bamboo branches standing in dark green vases. Spanish moss is used to hide any wires. Polly spends time with each student, suggesting effective tweaks and passing on tips. People travel from all over the world for these courses—one of today’s students runs an events company in Mexico. Time to hit the road with Junior, a delivery driver. Junior is taking the daffodils to the Welsh Office on Victoria Street and relies on his encyclopaedic knowledge of London’s back-doubles to beat the gridlock. “You never get used to the traffic,” he sighs. The pavements around Buckingham Palace are also chocked with tourists eagerly waiting for the changing of the guard. Junior navigates the backstreets of Victoria. Many of the residential flats have rather drab window boxes—these tenants really should call Jane Packer. Back at central HQ Helena and fellow florist Helen are a whirl of flowers, ribbons and secateurs, as Louise replies to an email from somebody enquiring about flowers for their wedding at The Langham. Louise continues to answer emails, take phone calls, write delivery instructions and prepare the flowers and foliage for the next order. Louise entered the world of floristry eight years ago. “I decided to have a change of career and took the City & Guilds route to floristry. It started off as a hobby and grew from there. I had always admired Jane’s work and one evening I was looking at the Jane Packer site and saw they had vacancies. That was just over five years ago.” Louise oversees New Cavendish Street and the nearby John Lewis concession. “I couldn’t do that job without a really supportive team,” she says. “Everybody mucks in.” Part of the job for these merry multitaskers is to write the heartfelt messages onto the cards that accompany each bouquet and hatbox. These range from birthday greetings and messages of condolence, to the sweetly romantic and the downright suggestive. Surely, I say, you must hear stuff that would make the rest of us blush. Annoyingly, Louise appears to have taken a similar oath to a confessional priest and refuses to spill the beans. “Helen will know the one I’m thinking of,” smiles Louise, still managing to give absolutely nothing away. “What this guy wanted written on the card was unbelievable. It was for Valentine’s Day, but it wasn’t at all romantic. But we get nice sentimental messages as well. It’s a real mixture.” Louise and Helen love the variety of people they deal with in this job. And that includes all their regulars at the shop. “Some of them come in weekly and will ask for their usual,” says Louise. Jane Packer has an army of loyal fans, both local and otherwise. Many enrol onto courses, some go on to do work experience, and occasionally one might become a member of staff. “There’s the proof,” grins Louise, pointing at Helen. Alicia, one of the business-tobusiness team, has rocked up. She needs to put together an arrangement for The Cavendish restaurant just across the road and sets about making a stunning creation using amaryllis topiaries and magnolia branches. “The Cavendish has something different every week,” says Alicia. “They have certain colours and certain sizes, but leave it up to us to come up with the particular design. We follow the Jane Packer style, but it is open to interpretation.” As they work Louise and Helen recall what it felt like to be part of the London 2012 Olympics, when Jane Packer had the honour of producing the victory bouquets—a project some two years in the making. “It was great being a part of that,” smiles Louise. “We were all located in different parts of the country. I was in Dorchester for two weeks looking after the flowers for the sailing. Some of the girls were down in Writtle, Chelmsford.” Helen looks up from her work. “And we were at Horse Guards Parade and the ladies beach volleyball. The guys all wanted to do that delivery,” she laughs. Suddenly Helena lets out a yelp from the other side of the room. The poor girl has pricked her finger while stripping a rose stem of its many thorns. So are these terrors the bane of a florist’s existence? “Have you see my hands?” begs Louise. “Yes, they are. And you get so used to them that sometimes you don’t even realise you’ve got a thorn until it goes septic. I’ve got loads of them.” Louise presents her hands for inspection. They resemble wellmanicured pin cushions. “I’ve got hands like a builder,” she grumbles. She and her two colleagues begin telling their thorn-related tales. It’s rather like Vietnam veterans sharing war stories, only these centre on Valentine’s Day. As a rule of thumb, the prettier the rose, the more thorns it has. None of which are removed before they arrive at Jane Packer. “That’s what we do at six o’ clock on a Monday morning,” says Helen. Ahmed has been patiently warming his soup in the microwave. He chooses this moment to announce that one of the first places he worked at had a conditioning machine which removed the thorns for you. Ahmed’s colleagues stare first at their thorn ravaged hands, and then at one another. Could there be mutiny in the air? I feel a strike coming on. JANE PACKER 32-34 New Cavendish Street, W1G 8UE 020 7935 2673 jane-packer.co.uk 40—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 40 31/03/2015 13:45 Some people come into the industry thinking it’s about making pretty bouquets and it’s all just lovely—they don’t understand quite how tough it can be at times 41—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11.02_features_FINAL.indd 41 31/03/2015 13:45 Culture. DAVID THORP The guest curator of the Potential Architecture exhibition at Ambika P3 talks art, architecture and the wider implications of changes in our urban environment INTERVIEW: VIEL RICHARDSON IMAGES: JOSEPH FOX WHAT’S ON EXHIBITIONS, MUSIC AND THEATRE PP44-48 So what’s Potential Architecture all about? Comprising four sitespecific commissions by international artists Alexander Brodsky, Sean Griffiths, Joar Nango and Apolonija Šušteršic, the show is jointly curated by myself, Ambika’s curator Michael Mazière, and the architectural department of the University of Westminster. The artist and architects involved use a medley of recycling, craft, and low-tech processes as well as performance, video and installation art to explore the implications of change in various urban environments. How did it begin? It’s an interesting story. About two years ago, I went up to Tromsø in northern Norway, a small town 600 miles above the Arctic Circle, on a visit to the university. It was while I was there that I met the artist Joar. He is one of the Sami, the indigenous people of that part of the world whose background is in reindeer herding, and he was interested in the crossover between traditional nomadic life and the urban environment, and the social conditions that result from that. For this exhibition he visited tribes in Mongolia, in fact. I asked him if he knew the work of Alexander Brodsky—a Russian artist whose work explores recycled materials with an implied critique of unsustainable property development—and he said he was a huge fan. What’s the connection between the artists? Both move between the disciplines of art and architecture, and both are concerned with people and their environment. Then there’s Apolonija from Slovenia, who works by creating forums for people to take more control over their urban environment within an artistic context. For example, in this exhibition she will be building a small auditorium in which a pre-recorded video of invited speakers talking about the negative effects of property development will be playing. Visitors can come and watch the proceedings in the auditorium where it took place. Sean Griffiths is really the most orthodox architect, in a way. His whole piece is about alienation and how the prevailing establishment system messes with our heads. So that, in a way, is the basis of the exhibition—though it was never set out like that right at the beginning. Do you often work with architecture? I’m not an architectural expert at all. I’m a curator. This show is a collaboration, between Katharine Heron, who is professor of architecture here, Michael Mazière, who is responsible for the P3 space, the artists and myself. That said, the implications of what these artists are doing impinges on my and many other people’s feelings of annoyance and outrage about the way London is changing thanks to property developers, and the issue of social housing. I’m pissed off about this, and about self-serving egomaniacs like Boris Johnson. All this has a bearing on how the lives of ordinary people in London are being undermined and constrained. You work as a freelance curator. Why is that? I like to work on alternative margins. I don’t mean Glastonbury, hippy type stuff—though that has its place, of course—I mean establishing an alternative to a mainstream art world and the financial system behind it. There were two things I was trying to avoid, which you can only do on a small scale: one was the sponsorship of private companies whose values you don’t share, and the second was the bureaucracy of something like the Arts Council, though in fact they have been very generous in their support of this. So yes, I wanted to do something that was free from traditional constraints. What drew you to Ambika P3 as an exhibition space? The scale, and the roughness of it. Outside the turbine hall, there is nowhere in central London that is this big. Also, if you look at what has happened in recent years in the area, it is a context which suits what we are trying to do in this exhibition. Also, I like small organisations. Westminster university is big of course, but this is a small team, semiautonomous within the university and much more flexible. There is a strong sense of teamwork and the organisation is flatter. All these things matter. POTENTIAL ARCHITECTURE Until 19th April Ambika P3 35 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LS p3exhibitions.com 42—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 42 31/03/2015 13:46 I like to work on alternative margins. I don’t mean hippy type stuff—though that has its place, of course— I mean establishing an alternative to a mainstream art world and the financial system behind it 43—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 43 31/03/2015 13:46 Culture. REMAKING A CLASSIC REGENT STREET CINEMA On 21st February 1896, a small gathering of cultural pioneers paid a shilling each to witness one of the landmark cultural events of the century: photographic images, projected onto a screen and—curiouser and curiouser—moving around. Intrigued and baffled, the audience watched as the Lumière brothers showed workers filing out from a French factory, waves lapping a sea shore, and a train chugging along a track. The theatre, based on Regent Street in what is now the University of Westminster, had witnessed many things since its creation in 1838: Victorian magic lantern shows, photography, optical illusions. But nothing had prepared the audience for the sight of an on-screen train, hurtling towards them. Having remained at the centre of cinematic invocation throughout the 20th century, the theatre closed its curtains for the last time in 1980. For years it was kept in darkness and disrepair. Then the University of Westminster began a complex three-year restoration programme designed to return the Regent Street Cinema to its former glory. The project is now nearing completion, with a distinctive programme of British cinema, classic repertory titles, non-Western cinema and experimental moving image and animation set to get underway later in the spring. But while generous donations from the Quintin Hogg Trust, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Garfield Weston Foundation have raised much of the near £6 million required to reopen the cinema, fundraising is still ongoing. Marylebone residents can play their part: the cinema’s Name a Seat campaign means that, for £750, donors can have a personalised plaque featuring an inscription of their choice installed on one of the auditorium’s seats. Contributors will also receive a year’s membership and an exclusive invitation to a preview of the newly-restored venue. REGENT STREET CINEMA 309 Regent Street, W1B 2UW birthplaceofcinema.com WHAT’S ON EXHIBITIONS MARC RIBOUD: PARIS TO PEKING Until 9th May Atlas Gallery 49 Dorset Street, W1U 7NF atlasgallery.com Top to bottom: Marc Riboud, Tony de Wolf, Allen Jones French photographer Marc Riboud made it his duty to be at the forefront of almost every major event of the mid to late 20th century, capturing images from Mao Zedong’s China during the Cultural Revolution and from both sides of the Vietnam War (his image of Jan Rose Kasmir holding a flower in front of gun-wielding soldiers has become iconic), not to mention his famous Eiffel Tower Painter. 44—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 44 31/03/2015 13:46 All of these—among several other lesserknown prints from the photographer’s personal collection—have been collated at the Atlas Gallery, Marylebone, for a unique exhibition of some of Riboud’s lesserseen work. SMALL ART Until 18th April A&D Gallery 51 Chiltern Street, W1U 6LY aanddgallery.com A&D answer the prayers of space-poor art lovers with this exhibition of A4 drawings, sketches and prints from a host of notable contemporary artists, some of which are originals. Artists include Allen Jones, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons and Andy Warhol. LEE UFAN Until 9th May Lisson Gallery 27&52 Bell Street, NW1 5DA lissongallery.com Korean-born minimalist master Lee Ufan presents his carefully wrought watercolours and four large-scale paintings together with installations made up of rocks and other components free of artistic action. The space of the gallery has been transformed into a quasisacred environment, calling on visitors to engage in profound contemplation—the aim being to “lead people’s eyes to emptiness and turn their ears to silence”. PICTURE FROM AN EXHIBITION 133.52 MILES WALKED, MAP (EXPLORER 306/ OL26) BY RACHAEL CLEWLOW “I wanted to do something that would reflect the local area,” says Newcastle-based artist Rachael Clewlow, reflecting on the premise behind this painting—a beautiful infographic which uses acrylic and silverpoint to map Middlesborough’s old iron ore trade routes. During the 1800s, coal and iron production in the area expanded exponentially, turning what had been a hamlet into a major city at the forefront of the country’s rapid industrialisation. After extensive research at the Teeside archives, Rachael was able to reconstruct the journeys made by miners into and out of the city. Many of the routes are now disused, so her research took her into unknown areas: from urban to suburban, to rural, over the moors and out to the coast. Rachael then plotted a total of nine walks using tracing paper placed over Ordnance Survey maps, embellished with information collected on her walks—“It could Lee Ufan be anything: from a monument, to graffiti, to a pair of pants on the road.” The data has been colour-coded to create an accompanying key, which is equally arresting on the eye. The horizontal lines of the key correspond with the colour of the circles on the map. “The outer circle is always the opposite, complimentary colour of the inner,” Rachael explains, “but the size and tone of the circles are left to intuition and often change as I move through the painting.” 133.52 miles walked, Map (Explorer 306/OL26) will feature alongside the key as part of jaggedart’s Ramblings exhibition, which also features works from artists Mercedes Castro Corbat, Monica Fierro, Ashraf Hanna and Tom Henderson. RAMBLINGS 26th March–25th April jaggedart 28a Devonshire Street, W1G 6PS 020 7486 7374 TONY DE WOLF: AN EXHIBITION OF NEW WORKS 6th—24th May Thompson’s Gallery 15 New Cavendish Street, W1G 9UB thompsonsgallery.co.uk Tony de Wolf’s hyperrealist still life paintings are reminiscent of the Dutch Old Masters, whose meticulously detailed paintings inspired him from a young age. De Wolf underwent seven years’ training at Antwerp’s Academy of Fine Arts before receiving direct guidance and training in 17th century technique under classical painter Willem Dolphyn. With that in mind, De Wolf has developed a clear, individualistic style, capturing everyday scenes with impressive precision. 45—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 45 31/03/2015 13:46 Culture. 46—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 46 31/03/2015 13:46 MUSIC ROXANA HALLS EXHIBITION It’s a rare day that a female artist elicits praise from Brian Sewell, but with her “discerning draughtsmanship and honest ability to paint”, it seems Roxana Halls has done it. That the young south London artist has yet to secure the National Portrait Prize from judges “who have been too dull-witted to share her passionate melancholy” is a perennial source of irritation to Britain’s most celebrated—and controversial—art critic. Her studio resides in an old theatre in south London, lending her works a sinister ‘backstage’ atmosphere in which masks slip, paint peels and the centre cannot hold: her still lives, meanwhile, have an impressive emotional depth. Returning to the Hay Hill Gallery after the lavish success of her September exhibition, Roxana’s latest collection of work promises to be many things—except of course, for tame, usual and safe. 5th May—30th May Hay Hill Gallery 35 Baker Street, W1U 8EN hayhill.com RACHMANINOFF: VARIATIONS IN A LIFE 18th April Hellenic Centre 16-18 Paddington Street, W1U 5AS helleniccentre.org Top: Angela Hewitt Above: Gerald Finley Banned under Stalin for being too ‘decadent’, slighted by Stravinsky for his apparent detachment, alternately celebrated and criticised by his contemporaries, Sergei Rachmaninoff is now widely regarded as the last great composer of the romantic era of Russian classical music. In this concert, composer and pianist Costas Fotopoulos, actor Alberto Bona and playwright Josephine Hammond come together to recreate his works, in a multi-layered celebration of one of the greatest Russian musicians of the 20th century. ACADEMY SOLOISTS ENSEMBLE: MOZART AND HAYDN 14th April Royal Academy of Music Marylebone Road, NW1 5HT ram.ac.uk Trevor Pinnock, principal guest conductor at the Royal Academy of Music, leads the Soloists Ensemble in a rendition of works by Mozart and Haydn. While Mozart’s Gran Partita (K.361) demonstrates the colours of wind instruments and their immense sensitivity, his mentor’s Notturno no.8 in G (Hob II:27) magnificently blends the timbres of strings and woodwind. 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRASIMENO 31st May Wigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk Hosted by classical pianist Angela Hewitt— widely celebrated for her interpretations of Bach— this event marks the 10th anniversary of the very first Trasimeno Festival. For this special concert, Angela is bringing to Wigmore Hall something of the unique atmosphere of the festival she founded a decade ago, which takes place annually in the Umbrian town of Magione.She will be accompanied on the evening by the Cremona Quartet, violinist Kerson Leong and bass-baritone Gerald Finley. BOOK REVIEWS TOUCH, HOLY SPY AND THE HOUSEKEEPER’S TALE PP48-49 47—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 47 31/03/2015 13:46 BOOK REVIEWS Culture. WORDS: SASHA GARWOOD THEATRE TOUCH CLAIRE NORTH JM BARRIE’S PETER PAN £14.99, Little, Brown Book Group 15th May–14th June Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Inner Circle, NW1 4NU openairtheatre.com After what seems like an eternity of winter, the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is finally re-opening its doors. Directed by Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel, the 2015 season will begin with a recreation of JM Barrie’s much-loved Peter Pan. This take on the classic children’s tale of magic, mischief and adventure is tinged with some of the darker undertones clearly present in Barrie’s original work, which have often been eradicated in subsequent versions. THE LONELY SOLDIER MONOLOGUES 6th—31st May Cockpit Theatre Gateforth Street, NW8 8EH thecockpit.org.uk “You think you know war? You don’t know the half of it.” The missing half is the perspective of the women who fought in and were affected by the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but whose voices are rarely heard. Helen Benedict redresses this imbalance with a verbatim play that looks at the lives of seven women who served in the US armed forces between 2003 and 2006. Why did they enlist? How have their lives changed? And what do their stories tell us about western culture? LECTURE ANNE SILK LECTURE: SLEEP AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS 5th May Royal Society of Medicine 1 Wimpole Street, W1G 0AE rsm.ac.uk In what will be the third annual Anne Silk lecture, professor Russell Foster, president of the British Neuroscience Association, will discuss the science and clinical applications of circadian rhythms— the biological ‘clocks’ which govern our daily lives. This fascinating free talk will be followed by a drinks reception. Booking is essential. Peter Pan at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre So Claire North has followed up last year’s superlative The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August with another novel-of-ideas disguised as an adventure story—and once again it works splendidly. Part meditation on human connection and identity, part violent kickass, Touch is the story of a narrator whose gender and “real” name we never quite find out: a “ghost” who discovered—after being beaten to death in an alleyway in the 18th century—that by touching another person’s skin they could inhabit that body until they chose to switch back out. Which puts the metaphorical cat amongst a flock of ideological pigeons. Touch’s premise raises some pretty big questions about accountability, identity, and connection. Ghosts tend to stick around indefinitely, neatly avoiding the majority of human accountability systems but getting some unique opportunities for vigilante justice. It’s possible to kill a ghost, and Touch’s narrator (whose name definitely isn’t Kepler, but goes by it anyway) spends a fair chunk of the book trying to do just that—but it requires killing the body (“skin”) they’re currently inhabiting and making sure there’s no opportunity for them to touch anyone and switch out until they’re definitely dead. North makes ghosts’ systems of survival plausible and terrifying. “Kepler” was once an “estate agent”, seeking out healthy people for ghosts to move into. It’s not as simple as regulated theft: sometimes ghosts are invited to inhabit a particular person, and sometimes they simply take, leaving a host with only a sense of lost time and occasionally an unexpectedly aged body. It is, when you think about, as creepy as hell. Perhaps unsurprisingly, ghosts develop some strange and sometimes 48—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 48 31/03/2015 13:46 poignant relationships with nonghosts, and some odd but resilient long-term relationships with one another. Kepler’s friendship with his ex-skin Johannes Schwarb is amusing, its unfortunate consequences grim, whilst the book is driven by Kepler’s need to eliminate the unscrupulous mass murderer Galileo. North’s plotting in Touch is rapid and constantly shifting, but underneath it there’s a whole bunch of human condition angst to get out. How much of what we consider our identities is tied up with our bodies? There’s a moving moment quite early on in Touch when a new friend of Kepler’s learns to recognise them: “Doesn’t matter who you’re wearing, I know it’s you… Something in the way you look. Something old. I can recognise you, whoever you are.” This distinction, between being seen and being known, runs through the book. So much of human interaction is based on body language, cultural semiotics, assumptions—if you strip all that away, who are we? Surely one human body is a flawed medium for so much emotional experience? And yet, in the climactic moments of the book, the ghost’s experience of love becomes indistinguishable from the human. Touch is troubling in lots of ways, but none that make it anything less than a damn good novel. HOLY SPY RORY CLEMENTS £14.99, Hodder and Stoughton It is unfortunate for Rory Clements that CJ Sansom exists, for were I not pathologically addicted to the latter’s immersive and immaculately researched Shardlake mysteries I would be all over Holy Spy. As it is, I found it mildly entertaining but lacking in the luxurious swathes of detail and character that persist even six books into the Shardlake series. John Shakespeare works for Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s notoriously ruthless spymaster, and has been charged with infiltrating the circle of Catholics around Anthony Babington, thus entrapping Mary Queen of Scots into condemning herself for treason. At the same time, he’s drawn into the complicated web surrounding his disappeared ex-lover Kat Whetstone, recently married to the wealthy Nicholas Giltspur and widowed by a man who accused her of employing him to commit the crime. It’s an interesting premise, and some of the apparent colourlessness of the characters is probably the result of diving into a series at the seventh book and expecting in-depth characterisation. But there’s no getting away from the fact that—with the exception of the absent Queen— the female characters are limited to being young and attractive. In fact, “two slender whores, sisters”, Kat and Shakespeare’s new 18-year-old housekeeper are pretty much the only women to appear. This would be bad enough, but some of Clements’ descriptions are… hackneyed. Kat, for example, has “breasts like exotic fruit… welcoming thighs of smoothest, softest silk” (can we get over writing historical novels like bad pornography, please?) and the incestuous sisters appear only as “coil[ing] and writh[ing] bodies”, seducing the cleric Gilbert Gifford and then demanding money. I might have been able to let this apparent inability to create female characters with depth, autonomy or any characteristics beyond the nubile slide. But I have the shining example of CJ Sansom before me. THE HOUSEKEEPER’S TALE: THE WOMEN WHO REALLY RAN THE ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSE TESSA BOASE £20, Aurum Press The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle is a slightly odd, gentle, quite beautiful book. It has the kind of gauche plot that only happens in novels— Elizabeth Pringle leaves the lovely house on the Scottish Island of Arran she’s lived in all her life to a stranger, who 30 years before admired it while walking past with her baby daughter— but with enough emotional realism that it doesn’t really matter. Bequest made, things get messy. The beneficiary, Anna, is now elderly and senile, so Elizabeth Pringle’s house passes to her daughter Martha, once the baby in the pram. Fleeing a messy breakup, Martha moves to Elizabeth’s, finding herself gradually drawn into the dynamics of the small, insular world of Arran and the affections and rivalries that swirled around Elizabeth Pringle when she was alive. Delving deeper into the history of the house and its former inhabitant, she starts to suspect that Elizabeth had a secret... For all the human intimacy of its island canvas, Elizabeth Pringle has an acuity that brings its characters to life. However predictable its emotional developments (I cannot imagine a novel of this kind where the protagonist doesn’t find love with one of her benefactor’s close friends, and would be disappointed if I did) both Elizabeth’s voice and Martha’s character are believable and engaging, and Arran’s wild beauty vividly evoked. Whilst Martha’s paramour’s barbed comments often veer too close to negging for my liking—this is the 21st century, can we PLEASE have a male love interest that treats his lover with respect and understanding?— Elizabeth’s relationships and Martha’s fraught connections with her mother and sister are much more subtle. For all its obviousness of plot, Elizabeth Pringle is meditative, beguiling and absorbing. 49—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 49 31/03/2015 13:46 Style. TRACEY NEULS The founder of the eponymous shoe brand on why she hangs her shoes from the ceiling, designs them using plasticine, and desperately wants to introduce alcohol to the shoe-shopping experience INTERVIEW: STEVIE MARTIN IMAGES: JOSEPH FOX always want a crazy top piece on it. Some are classic shapes that have been going since 1850, and are also traditionally male; juxtaposing something like that on a woman’s shoe conjures up memories, but it’s still completely fresh. Fashion is theatrical, and so are the shoes, which is why I present them in this dramatic, different way. Have you always loved shoes? I have! And I feel quite thankful for that, because you have lots of people who don’t know what they want to do. But when I was nine, I remember making shoes out of toilet rolls and cardboard boxes, and sitting in my mum’s closet with all the shoes around me... it was something I always wanted to do. But I’m Canadian, and there were no footwear colleges anywhere in Canada, so I went into fashion design instead. After a 10 year career in fashion I thought, OK, there’s a school in the UK I can go to, so let’s do it now! Did your career in fashion influence the shoes you design? It all goes hand in hand— some of my designs will have a little detail on the heel, or the top, that will make the factory groan whenever they see it. Like, “What is this?! This doesn’t go on a shoe!” But it’s all about balance. A lot of the shapes I create are sculptural, so I don’t Talking of presentation, why do you hang them from the ceiling? To celebrate the detail! You usually go into a store, there are super-bright lights, and loud music and, while this is fine, I feel like it distracts from the product. Also, when a shoe is on a shelf, you only see the top view, but you see everything when the shoe is actually on a foot. It’s like a sculpture, and you want to see every angle possible. Originally, I wanted to have cocktails and shoes—friends coming in, the shoes flying around, everything so dynamic!— but licensing has been an issue, although I’m still looking into it. When we first opened this store, I was baking bread in the back just to have that juxtaposition of different senses. NAILED IT NAIL PRODUCTS PP54-55 What inspires you to design a shoe? I think there’s something lovely in the innocence of childhood. You see a kid playing and they don’t care about anything, they’re talking to themselves and doing their own thing. I’m big on memories and nostalgia, so I create my designs out of plasticine and take them to the factory. The smell of it takes you right back—like that freshly baked bread —and of course the factory hates me for it. I turn up with my little shoes saying things like, “So here’s a green one, here’s a little blue one” and they’re so not used to that. But they do it! Apart from that nostalgia element, why do you use plasticine? It’s a way of translating from your brain to your hands, a sort of communication between the body and the mind. Plus, I’ve been doing it for ages and learned it as a kid! It’s important to me not to grab Vogue and trawl through, looking at what other designers are doing, because if you’re not doing exactly what Vogue tells you to do at that moment, then it won’t go out of fashion in six months’ time. My favourite moments are when mothers and daughters come in and shop, because when that happens you’re transcending time. It’s impossible for us to say that there’s a particular demographic we’re focusing on, and I love that—a 14-year-old will be like “I want these ones!” while her mom is trying on something else, all in the same store. 50—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 50 31/03/2015 13:46 I think there’s something lovely in the innocence of childhood. You see a kid playing and they don’t care about anything, they’re talking to themselves and doing their own thing 51—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 51 31/03/2015 13:46 Style. MY FAVOURITES TIM YATES The shoes are almost mini works of art. How should they be worn? If you wear a ring, you don’t think, this turquoise won’t go with anything! You just throw it on. Shoes should be more like that. I’d hate it if someone came in and was like, “I’ve got a green jumper, what should I wear on my feet?” Wear whatever you like! You don’t need a pair of shoes to go with specific items of clothing; you can do something vintage on top, or a bit of Chloé, or a bit of Japanese... just make it your own. The general manager at Trunk Clothiers shares his picks from the current collection Do you have a favourite shoe? Well, the neon shoe we do has been going for a long time. The company has been going for 15 years, and neon and natural are company colours, so to have that still in fashion is kind of great. To me it has the same attributes as a trainer—not that you’ll be running too much in it—but it kicks the ass off any Nikes or Converse. You can go to clubs in it, and you can wear it in the day. It’s all-purpose and I just love that. How have you found Marylebone? I completely love it! The people are so real! From the first moment we set up shop here, we had people rocking up on their bicycles saying, “Good on you, we can’t wait for it!” and some other people would be all, “We saw your new article in so and so! Nice one!” You go to Notting Hill and there’s a vibe, but in Marylebone there are no preconceived notions. You’ve got actors galore, French galore, young people, old people... there are guys flogging sausages down the road and you’re like, how can you be minutes away from the world’s most famous shopping street and flog sausages? It’s so great. TRACEY NEULS 29 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2NQ traceyneuls.com We don’t follow the catwalks at Trunk. Most of our customers are 30 or older; they are guys who aren’t trying to be super-trendy, just smart, stylish and well dressed. They have an interest in clothes, they have an interest in quality, they want stuff to be well fitted. We have some young, trendy stuff, of course, but we are not obsessed. For example, the helmets by Hedon. These are new for us, made in north London by a French brand, and they are my personal favourite. They are not stocked in very many places at all. The green is particularly popular—I have a Vespa and this is just brilliant. It seems to catch everyone’s eye, and it is comfy to boot. It’s such a nice finish with the leather trim—and while it’s strong, it doesn’t look like you have a balloon on your head. This is number one. My number two is a check suit by Caruso—a tailored brand at the smarter end of the spectrum, which always proves popular. It’s an Italian manufacturer, so unlike British jackets that tend to be on the heavy 52—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 52 31/03/2015 13:46 side, they are very lightweight— ideal for spring. This particular style is nipped in at the waist, quite structured, and double breasted, which we don’t have much of. It’s a bit more formal than some of our tailoring, but some guys prefer that. I like these shoes by the American brand, Alden. Alden is an institution in America—well over a century old and still family run. They’ve a big following there and in the UK: theirs are genuine-welted shoes, made with one of the finest and rarest leathers in the world, shell cordovan. One batch of shell cordovan takes a minimum of six months to produce and finish. This particular style is an American take on the classic English shoe. It’s burgundy coloured, so it goes with grey, blue, and black trousers, and it is really comfortable. Downstairs we’ve more of a casual range. Boglioli is one of our more relaxed, soft tailoring brands. Some of their jackets are like wearing a cardigan, they are so comfortable. You can dress down with chinos or dress up in a shirt. I think it’s nice with chinos and trainers though really. In fact, I’d probably wear one with one of our Barena collarless shirts, another of my favourites. The cotton is lovely and soft, of very high quality and thread count. They look great under a jacket. Then for trousers I’d pick these from The Gigi. They are made in Italy from a classic textured cotton seersucker and have a drawstring waist, so are an easy fit. They look smarter on the body than they do on the hanger—they are a great cut, ideal for relaxed summer days pottering about. They are a bit more causal than I would normally wear, but I love the brand and its quirky take on tailoring. It’s actually from the guys behind Boglioli—they went on to found The Gigi afterwards, and they have such interesting patterns, inspired by their interest in architecture and geometrical prints. For knocking about on the weekend in a pair of trainers, these are just perfect. Caruso per Trunk Nabucco suit, £1,565 Barena Crea Poppi shirt, £95 The Gigi Waikiki trousers, £215 Alden cordovan plain toe blucher, £695 Hedon Hedonist helmet, £300 TRUNK CLOTHIERS 8 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PU trunkclothiers.com 53—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 53 31/03/2015 13:46 Style. NAILED IT The sun is out, the election is on and the gloves are off—both for the politicians, and for you, fair Maryleboneites. Even if that cold wind continues to blow, the days of hiding your digits in mittens are numbered. It’s a scary moment. Chapped fingers are never a good look, but restoring health and vitality is no easy task. Enter the village’s impressive selection of balms, creams, oils and—most crucially— nail varnishes, the bright spring colours of which will bring life to even the most winterravaged of hands 1 2 NARS Wind Dancer nail polish (15ml) Space NK, £15 4 ESSIE Blossom Dandy nail varnish (13.5ml) West One Beauty, £7.99 ESSIE Petal Pushers nail varnish (13.5ml) West One Beauty, £7.99 Zagara orange blossom hand cream (75ml) Ortigia, £16 3 5 Kent NB6 nailbrush John Bell & Croyden, £9 Melissa nail balm (10ml) Neal’s Yard Remedies, £9 54—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 54 31/03/2015 13:46 6 8 9 7 Resurrection Aromatique hand wash (500ml) Aesop, £27 Resurrection rinse-free hand wash (50ml) Aesop, £7 ESSIE First Base base coat (13.5ml) West One Beauty, £8.99 ESSIE apricot cuticle oil (13.5ml) West One Beauty, £8.99 Brown sugar hand cream (75ml) Fresh, £15 THE OUTFIT THE BEST OF MARYLEBONE VILLAGE PP56-57 55—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 55 31/03/2015 13:46 Style. A FRESH LOOK There are two types of women in Marylebone: those who are passionate devotees of Fresh, and those who have yet to visit this small and unassuming beauty store. Founded in America by beauty pioneers Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg in 1991, its growth from a small Boston apothecary to a global brand has been as slow and reassuringly steady as that of the all-natural ingredients from which its products are made. After a decade on the high street, the time had come for a makeover: the ‘Fresh look’ made manifest on the shop floor itself. The new look store is already drawing in new converts. “People are coming in asking if we’ve just opened, not realising we’ve been here for 10 years!” says the manager Caglar. At the front a sensorial bar serves as a centrepiece, each glittering phial of essential oils crying out to be sniffed. Behind them, brightly coloured soaps nestle like iced pastries in an artisanal bakery—one of the key inspirations, it transpires, for the new display. “Fresh is a sensual brand—scent and nourishment are part of what we do. When you walk past a bakery you think how beautiful it smells. Fresh is the same.” VIVE LA DIFFERENCE It’s not an obvious collaboration. Petit Bateau is a chic, classic French brand of Breton stripes and pan collars. Kenta Matsushige describes his inspiration as the architecture of Japanese museums and augmented reality videos. Quite how the two styles have melded so beautifully is a mystery. Nevertheless, to say we want to get our hands on Kenta’s entire capsule collection for Petit Bateau is an understatement. Smart and beautifully cut, Kenta’s collection is simultaneously a departure from the brand’s roots, and a return to them. Little surprise, then, that Kenta now lives and works in Paris. PETIT BATEAU 70 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5JL petit-bateau.co.uk FRESH 92 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4RD fresh.com 56—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 56 31/03/2015 13:46 THE OUTFIT THE BEST OF THE SEASON FROM MARYLEBONE VILLAGE BA&SH Taylor shirt KJ’s Laundry, £125 Denim quilted jacket Comptoir des Cotonniers, £130 AG the ex-boyfriend in 10 years Trilogy, £210 Aztec woven clutch J Crew, £128 Helena Rohner porcelain stone earrings Toast, £95 Flossie nappa leather court LK Bennett, £180 57—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 57 31/03/2015 13:46 Style. FACING THE FUTURE Beset by the stresses of making the Marylebone Journal profitable, our sales director Donna Earrey visits the Chuan Spa for her very first facial I have never had a facial before. Surprising really, especially as I am always first in the queue for any new pot of lotion, full of hope that its magic ingredients will smooth, plump and firm all my lines and saggy bits, leaving me looking half my age at most. But a month or so down the line, the only thing that ever feels tighter is my cashflow. I’d often wondered whether I should instead entrust my face to a professional, but the salons and spa rooms on my high street seem to be the preserve solely of TOWIE wannabes. I have spent many a Saturday browsing the treatment lists, only to have a 20-something female with a face the colour of carrot soup glare back at me through weaponised eyelashes; off-putting to the say least. So when I received an invitation from The Langham, London for a facial treatment at the Chuan Spa, it seemed like a rather better place to start. I am met by Gosia Dec, senior therapist and trainer at Chuan Spa, who talks me through my treatment. I am having a Germaine de Capuccini facial known as the Timexpert Lift. This leading Spanish skincare brand offers non-invasive treatments designed to reduce the volume, depth and length of wrinkles, revitalise dull skin and provide anti-ageing effects. The key to its success is the Efficy 3 machine. Gosia explains how this multi-functional piece of equipment, which utilises various cutting edge technologies, can stimulate a biological action in the deepest layers of the skin tissues, improve circulation and guarantee that the delicious products slavered on my face penetrate fully. After choosing my preferred scent for the facial massage that makes up the blissful final stage of the treatment—Central Park, for the record—I settle back and begin to relax; perhaps a little too much, as in a relatively short space of time I am struggling to stay awake. After nearly two blissful hours and with my treatment over, I make haste to the changing room desperate to find a mirror. Looking at my reflection, my face does have a really lovely glow and the saggy bits, which if neglected long enough are the envy of any bloodhound, do appear to be a little less saggy and the wrinkly bits seem to have filled out, but I still need more evidence that the treatment has been successful. I grab my mobile phone and look for the self-portrait I cunningly took before leaving home. Still standing in front of the mirror I look at the image then back at my reflection, then back and forth several times more. And yes, there really is a difference. Smiling, I think of all those half-finished pots of cream sitting smugly on my bathroom shelf. It will be goodbye to them from now on—and hello Chuan Spa. CHUAN SPA 1C Portland Place, W1B 1JA chuanspa.co.uk T Ca 58—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 58 31/03/2015 13:46 Try a class for free!* MARYLEBONE CHELSEA CHISWICK 6 Cavendish Square 1st Floor Atlantic Ct. 12 Turnham Green Call to book and quote ‘Marylebone Journal’ Lower Ground Floor 77 Kings Road Terrace W1G 0PD SW3 4NX SW19 5AX T: 020 7637 8458 T: 020 7349 7500 T: 020 8996 0401 KENSINGTON WIMBLEDON 18 Kensington 49 High St Church Street Lower Ground Floor W8 4EP SW19 5AX T: 020 7937 6901 T: 020 3151 5730 barrecore @barrecore barre_core * New clients only, expires 30th June 2015. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 59 31/03/2015 13:46 Home. VICKY SHEPHERD The co-founder of Cologne & Cotton on snake charmers, craftsmanship and the horrors of Bri-Nylon bedsheets INTERVIEW: ELLIE COSTIGAN IMAGE: JOSEPH FOX You’ve been trading for 26 years now—how has the business changed in that time? We’ve expanded the product range hugely and the internet has had a big impact on our business. We’re just building a new web platform, which will offer us huge functionality in terms of data capture, analysis and a better offering for the customer. That’ll go live towards the end of April, with a lot of new products on. Jenny and I are getting a bit tired I have to say! But we’re still doing it. The company’s better run for sure. How did it all start? Cologne and cotton... they’re pretty different, no? They are completely different, but what they have in common is that touch and smell are the two most sensitive senses. When we started in 1989, the premise was to be able to walk into very beautiful surroundings and on the one hand have piles of bed linen all unwrapped, and on the other side have these big bottles of cologne. So you’d have this wonderful smell and the fact you could touch it all, pull it off the shelves, feel the cotton and the linen—those two things were paramount. Up until the sixties, everybody slept in cotton. It was wonderful to sleep in, but hell to wash and iron. You know the proverbial Monday wash day? My mum would actually stay in all day and wash. Then Bri-Nylon came along and everyone thought it was wonderful. It was horrible—ugh! It was disgusting! If you touched it with a broken nail you got an electric shock, it was ghastly. But of course it dried almost instantly. Then polyester arrived, another manmade fibre, easy to wash and dry and didn’t need to be ironed, and by the early eighties pure cotton bed linen was virtually impossible to find on the high street. We wanted to re-introduce it. So where do you get your stock from? When we first started there were mills in Lancashire. Then they started closing down one by one, so we went further afield to Portugal, India and China. In the late eighties, China was very competitive. The first time Jenny and I went there we were able to buy hand-embroidery at what we would now consider incredibly cheap prices, but in the nineties there was a huge crisis. Two years of very bad cotton harvests meant there was very little decent cotton to be had, and when it recovered the price shot up and never came down again. Meanwhile, everybody in China was demanding better wages and conditions, and rightly so. Alongside that, nobody really did hand-embroidery anymore; young people weren’t interested and the older generation had retired. So we now buy a lot of our hand-embroidery from Vietnam. It is still a big industry over there, but it’s expensive. And it should be expensive—some of our pillow cases have taken someone a very long time to make. We know that one of them takes eight days! They’re heirlooms, they’re not something you stick in the wash, in the dryer; they’re very beautiful. If you look after them they will last for a long, long time. They’re beautiful things and one day they won’t exist. So we want to maintain it as long as possible. How has it affected the sort of products you have? Every single piece is still handmade, some, such as our quilts, by snake charmers in very remote parts of Pakistan. They’re completely crazy! You can’t 5 LAMPS PP63 tell them what to do; they just make what they feel like. The guy we deal with is wonderful. He’ll say, “Oh, I have a small shipment coming. They’ve made some nice boxes too,” so we have to take the boxes as well. The last batch of stuff we got, he’d included these tin trunks with lids, painted with the wildest looking birds you’ve ever seen. We took those as well—and people love them. They’re quite quirky, different, and that’s what we’re all about. We still do our own colognes and beautiful candles and diffusers. All the essential oils are from France but it’s produced in the UK. That’s always been the case. We do a lot of niche fragrances that you won’t find anywhere else: Côté Bastide, Fragonard, E Coudray, Acqua Colonia, all these independent companies that have been making perfume for many years. When we take someone on we don’t like to drop them after six months, we like to keep them. We’ve had relationships with some of the suppliers since we first opened in Leamington back in 1989. What shall we look out for this spring? We’re always bringing in new things and Marylebone gets the bulk of our stock. We’ve got some absolutely beautiful embroidery coming in, which we’re calling ‘flirt’, which is made in Portugal. It’s 400 threadcount cotton with beautiful, bluey-grey embroidery on the pillow cases and duvet covers. Beautiful baskets, rugs, all this colourful stuff from Rajasthan, scrolls, some gorgeous table linen. We have a new Fragonard product and some gorgeous 60—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 60 31/03/2015 13:46 Cologne and cotton are completely different, but what they have in common is that touch and smell are the two most sensitive senses cushions that I’ve just set out. Everything is very bright and colourful. What’s your favourite product? What I love the most is the hand-embroidery. It’s just so exquisite. The craftsmanship, the workmanship, the pleasure it gives you. You don’t even have to put it on your bed, you just have to look at it and know it’s there. That to me is a joy. That’s what created this company. You can’t do anything like this without a passion. You can think, I’d like to have a shop, but in order to do something very specific like this and see it through you really do have to think, I can do this and nothing will get in my way. I will create colognes, I will have embroidered bed linen and I will have it on the shelves, I won’t have it wrapped. It’s a passion. Who are your customers? We have hugely devoted followers. It’s wonderful— once we get a customer we don’t lose them. When they discover Cologne & Cotton they wonder why they ever went anywhere else! It’s a testament to the customer, who knows what he or she wants. These customers are very discerning: they don’t want to be told what to buy, they already know what they want. It’s individual, it’s not mass produced, it’s not been churned out, and that allows the customer to use their imagination a bit. Nobody wants to be the same as everyone else, you want that quirkiness. You want individuality, to match your own individuality. COLOGNE & COTTON 88 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QX 020 7486 0595 cologneandcotton.com 61—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 61 31/03/2015 13:46 Home. HOME HELP Skandinavia. Iittala, another Finnish designer, is mainly metal work and glass. Danish Skagerak is more classically Skandi, with wood and quite minimalist. Matias Björndahl, marketing manager and photographer at Skandium, gives his tips on how to get the most out of Marylebone Interiors Day What is your experience in interior design at Skandium? I’m a photographer by trade. I studied fine art photography and I specialise in taking photographs of furniture. enjoy this. The language is so great—slightly old fashioned. Everyone of all ages loves Moomin. Even my grandparents have some Moomin cups. I don’t think they will ever go out of fashion. Who is Interiors Day for? It’s for anyone who is interested in interior design: from students, to people with second homes in the countryside. In fact, because Skandium’s event this year is inspired by the release of the new Moomin film, it is for children too. What advice can I seek on the day? Advice on everything: from getting new storage equipment, to wall colours, to arranging furniture, to kitchen accessories. Our staff are all trained in design or architecture, so they will be able to help you. Interiors for children? Because Marylebone is so family orientated we felt it would be good to have something for kids. We’re having a Moomin display window and a storyteller coming in to read Moomin books. Even adults will What offers will you have on the day? At Skandium, we have Marimekko, Iittala and Skagerak. They are all very different. Finnish designer Marimekko is more floral and pretty-pretty—not what you’d expect from Are people quite set in their ways when it comes to Scandinavian design? A little bit. People tend to assume minimalist, cream and wood and so on. But we’ve many young, fresh Scandinavian designers who are not so ‘classic’. What’s interesting is that many of these new designs can go together even if they seem to clash, as they are all timeless. Each of the three designers we’re featuring will be mixed together in the display, so you should be able to see how it’s done. It’s not always easy, but our staff will be on hand to help out. What should people bring with them? An open mind. There is so much to see, and you can get inspiration for all areas of the home, whether you’ve got nothing or everything. If you have a particular room or area you want to design for, bring photos or house plans. We’ll provide refreshments. SKANDIUM 86 Marylebone Rd, W1U 4QS skandium.com MARYLEBONE INTERIORS DAY 16TH MAY 2015 If 2013’s inaugural Marylebone Interiors Day was hugely popular; its sequel in 2014 was bigger and more beautiful still. So how to better it this year? That is the daunting challenge Marylebone’s interior shops have been facing—and they’ve risen to it admirably, with a wealth of workshops, talks, free consultations and exclusive offers. On Saturday 16th May, eight of the area’s retailers—The Conran Shop, Designers Guild, McGlashans Interiors, Lewis & Co, Little Greene, Solid Floor and Skandium—will join forces to celebrate Marylebone Village’s growing reputation for interior design. Registration will take place at the foyer of Regent’s University London at 110 Marylebone High Street, where you can refuel, collect your ‘passport’—a guide to the various events and offerings at each store— and receive complimentary canvas bags for stashing catalogues, goodies and treats throughout the day. 62—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 62 31/03/2015 13:46 FIVE OF THE BEST: LAMPS Some shining examples of lamps that will brighten your life both literally and figuratively Gubi Gräshoppa task lamp, Another Country, £337 Bottle light, Oliver Bonas, £10 Mushroom table lamp, Skandium, £439 Celia oversized lamp, Brissi, £249 Arles lamp in mint, The Conran Shop, £100 63—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 63 31/03/2015 13:46 Food. It is a way of service that is dying out and it’s a shame, because it is beautiful to see it at its best. It is about the experience a person has from the moment they walk in and we take their coat, to handing it back when they leave ERMANNO DEVALLE The general manager of The Cavendish talks about bringing the theatre of the private club to Marylebone diners INTERVIEW: VIEL RICHARDSON IMAGE: JOSEPH FOX What is your role here at The Cavendish? My role is to be in charge of the day to day running of the restaurant: from the style of service, to dealing with the suppliers and public relations. The directors are also involved, but I’m the one who is here on a daily basis. They came up with the concept and the look; it’s my job to make it a reality. What’s the idea behind the restaurant? We want to give our customers the kind of experience they would get in a private club. There is an ambience and a certain theatre to the best clubs and we want to bring that experience to more people. So do you have experience of that private club world? I do. Before coming here I worked at the George Club on Mount Street. When I started, I was in charge of breakfast and head waiter at lunch. Eventually I moved to assistant general manager, which was my position for six years. After that I had a short time at The Arts Club before moving to Morton’s in Mayfair. The Arts was a beautiful place but it didn’t operate the kind of service that I really enjoy. How would you define that particular style of service? It is a way of service that is dying out and it’s a shame, because it is beautiful to see it at its best. Cooking dishes in front of the customers, for example— perhaps the waiter carving the joint for a Sunday roast tableside, mixing the steak tartare in front of you, or flambéing the crepe suzette—brings theatricality to the dining experience which customers really enjoy. But this kind of service goes deeper than putting on a show. It is about the experience a person has from the moment they walk in and we take their coat, to handing it back when they leave. So the people you hire have an important role Absolutely. Our staff are central to what we do. You have to give perfect service, and this is easy to say but not easy to do and it takes a very specific approach. You have to have knowledge of whatever you are selling. You also have to execute everything with perfect technique—we cannot have accidents at the table. The staff also have to know how to be attentive without being intrusive, which is a skill not everyone has. How do you achieve and maintain these standards? You have to hire people who love their job and want to be working with customers. It has to be why they want to come to work. We pay our staff properly—we ask and expect a lot from them, so it is only fair we pay accordingly. We have a very extensive interview process to make sure we get the right kind of people: people who are really looking for a career and haven’t just applied because it is good money in the short term. We also have a lengthy training programme, but we try to hire some people who have worked in private clubs before. My colleague Salvatore used to work in Morton’s, for example. We have managed to get a group who really love what they are doing and they are very nice people. You can never manufacture a natural smile. But this isn’t a club, so how do things differ? It’s more modern and contemporary, and NEW THE ARRIVAL OF PIERRE MARCOLINI PP66 64—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 64 31/03/2015 13:47 perhaps a little less formal even though the standards are kept very high. We also have music both upstairs and downstairs on ground floor level. Downstairs has a bit more of a party atmosphere—the music is a bit louder and the lighting is different—so it’s great if you are going for a night out with friends but want to be able to talk without shouting. Upstairs we change the lighting and lower the music, so it’s much more conducive to intimate dining. What other factors do you think go into making a successful restaurant? The food has to be of the very highest quality. The food here is outstanding, and that all starts with the suppliers. I work with the best of those I have met throughout my career, so we have a long term relationship. This is important, because they know the standards I require and I know the quality of the products they will deliver. We also have a wonderful head chef, Alfonso Lillo Fas, who trained at El Bulli. He has created an absolutely wonderful menu. What do you enjoy most about working at The Cavendish? If you love being around people, which I do, there is no better job than catering. I meet lots of different, interesting people and as general manager I get to socialise with them. It is a wonderful side to the job. THE CAVENDISH 35 New Cavendish Street, W1G 9TR 35newcavendish.co.uk 65—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 65 31/03/2015 13:47 Food. NEW SIX OF THE BEST WINES TO DRINK WITH CHOCOLATE 2011 Chateau Jolys Cuvee Jean, Jurancon, France, £11.99 This wine would work well with tropical fruits such as pineapple, mango, guava and passion fruit, but a mouth-watering acidity on the finish means it also copes well with white chocolate desserts. ORGANIC GROWTH Organic farming, sustainable practices, meticulous animal welfare, minimal packaging, fuel efficiency: reading up on the principles underlying Daylesford Organic Farm, we almost forgot to wonder at the delectable smorgasbord of organic meat, cheeses, fruits and vegetables it produces. The farm, set within 2,000 acres of Gloucestershire countryside, employs a mere 15 full-time workers, yet its fields and pastures are free from pesticides, GM products and chemical fertilisers. The creamery, bakery, dairy and pastures have been filling the shelves of the business’s small chain of farm shops for years, the latest of which is opening on Blandford Street in May. With produce from the farm and an open kitchen serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, Daylesford will be a welcome addition to Marylebone’s foodie haven. DAYLESFORD FARMSHOP & CAFÉ 6-10a Blandford Street, W1U 4AU daylesford.com 2012 Mas Amiel Muscat de Rivesaltes, LanguedocRousillon, France, £10.99 A lightly-fortified, sweet vin doux naturel wine. Displays aromas of pineapple, orange blossom and lovely floral notes. MAGIC BEANS April sees the arrival in Marylebone of renowned Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini. Winner of the World Pastry Championship in 1995, Pierre opened his first chocolate shop that same year. He has since widened his reach to cover Belgium, Monaco, Japan, Kuwait— and now Marylebone High Street. “We chose to come to Marylebone because it is precisely the kind of place we had envisioned when thinking about locations for our flagship London store. The high street is at the heart of Seriously Plummy, Maury, France, £10.99 A splendidly sweet dessert wine with intense forest fruit flavours and hints of spice, perfect with dark artisan chocolate. Try it with black forest gateaux—the chocolate and cherry combination is sublime. 2007 Disznoko Tokaji Aszu 5 puttonyos, Hungary, £26.99 The sweet Tokaji wines are produced from the furmint grape, then sweetened with baskets of noble rot-affected grapes. Perfect with chocolate and orange. 2013 Seifried Sweet Agnes Riesling, Nelson, New Zealand, £13.99 A modern classic, with honeyed sweetness and vibrant notes of citrus zest. Kourtaki Cameo Mavrodaphne, Patras, Greece, £6.69 A good match with milk and dark chocolate, and an absolute bargain. All wines subject to availability from Waitrose on Marylebone High Street. rovingsommelier.com @rovingsommelier London, and the centre of a delightful mix of small boutiques and artisan venders,” says Pierre. “We take the best cocoa beans from around the world and bring them to our workshop in Brussels.” Pierre believes cocoa beans deserve the same level of respect as wine grapes, and takes the same level of care a vintner would when blending them to create his grand cru base, from which all the chocolates are made. The result is a collection of flavours you’ll find nowhere else. “Just like fashion designers, we create seasonal products to allow our customers to discover new flavours several times per year,” Pierre explains. “Being surrounded by people who appreciate such an expression of creativity is one of the reasons it makes sense for us to be in the heart of this fashionable city. “I often get asked what inspires these collections and it is such a difficult question to answer, because I am influenced by so many things. Travelling and exposure to other cultures allows me to discover new products, but also to test new ways to enjoy familiar ingredients. I am also heavily influenced by the art world, especially contemporary art— textures, shapes and colours are all sources of inspiration—as well as gastronomy, which in itself is very creative and constantly pushing the limits. And last but not least I love music— it can be so moving.” MAISON PIERRE MARCOLINI 37 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QE marcolini-eboutique.com 66—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 66 31/03/2015 13:47 RECIPE INGREDIENTS Serves 4 CARAMEL APPLE FINANCIER WITH WHIPPED CRÈME FRAÎCHE Chris King, chef de cuisine at Roux at The Landau For the financiers —90g unsalted butter —90g caster sugar —3 medium egg whites —40g plain flour, sifted —40g almond powder —½ tsp salt —Dark rum These rich, buttery cakes are traditionally baked in little rectangular moulds shaped like a financier’s stock in trade—a golden ingot. I love them for the nuttiness they take from the browned butter and their willingness to absorb plenty of boozy dark rum. You could serve these little fancies on their own with a cup of coffee, or as here with a few butterscotch roast apples and some whipped crème fraîche. For the caramel apple compote —3 opal or cox apples, peeled and diced —75g sugar —40g unsalted butter —¼ pod vanilla, seeds scraped out —50ml cloudy apple juice For the whipped crème fraîche —75ml crème fraîche —15ml double cream —15g icing sugar METHOD —Put the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Without stirring allow the butter to first boil, then foam and finally settle down and quieten. The butter solids will stick to the bottom of the pan and caramelise into nutty little nuggets. Leave to cool. —With a whisk, mix the egg whites and sugar in a bowl then incorporate the almond powder, sifted flour and salt. —Scrape all of the cooled butter into the mix, including the toasty goodness in the bottom of the pan and whisk. —Pour into buttered moulds—ingots, a muffin tin, ramekins, your choice. —Bake at 170C until golden and springy—about 10 minutes. —Turn out of the moulds, and while the cakes are still hot drench them with plenty of dark rum. —Next make the apple compote. In a heavy bottomed frying pan, melt the sugar with just a splash of water to create a light caramel. Carefully add the diced apples, the butter and the vanilla seeds. Cook over a medium heat, stirring, until coated and softened. Add the apple juice, take off the heat and keep warm. —Blitz half of the apple compote with the liquid in a blender until a very smooth puree (add another dash of juice to help it go around if needs be). —Whisk the crème fraîche, double cream and icing sugar vigorously until smooth and glossy. —Serve the financiers still warm with a little of the apple compote, the whipped crème fraîche and the butterscotchapple puree. ROUX AT THE LANDAU 1C Portland Place, W1B 1JA 020 7636 1000 rouxatthelandau.com 67—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 67 31/03/2015 13:47 Food. Later in the year, as the meat gets a bit tougher, lamb is better for slow cooked stews, casseroles and tagines, using cuts such as shoulder and breast, but right now the early season lamb is perfectly tender The executive chef at 108 Brasserie on one of his favourite ingredients At this time of year, the ingredient I most enjoy cooking with has to be lamb. It’s just a real reminder of the British springtime. Later in the year, as the meat gets a bit tougher, lamb is better for slow cooked stews, casseroles and tagines, using cuts such as shoulder and breast, but right now the early season lamb is perfectly tender. It is great to focus on the cuts that cook quite quickly—racks, fillets, saddle—and simply roast them, preserving all that subtle spring flavour. New season lamb is delicate in flavour, versatile and can be prepared in so many different ways—it goes perfectly with some of the other seasonal flavours such as artichokes, broad beans and wild garlic. A favourite dish of mine on the 108 Brasserie spring menu is roasted rack and slow-cooked belly, served with broad beans, asparagus and artichoke. We have a lovely lamb rump dish on our events menu, served with a goat’s cheese and potato gratin, and we are introducing a nice roast saddle onto our Sunday lunch menu over Easter. I’m also partial to a herb-crusted roast lamb rack: very simple but it really shows off the ingredient. As with everything we do here, the most important thing is to have good quality meat, from a happy, well-reared animal. All our meat comes from our butcher Aubrey Allen, but the new season lambs are farmed in Cornwall. 108 BRASSERIE 108 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2QE 020 7969 3900 108brasserie.com MAMA’S MORANGOS THE MARYLEBONE The mixologists at The Marylebone pride themselves on their homemade infusions, whipped up in their inhouse ‘laboratory’. We love the Brazilian-inspired mama’s morangos: a strawberry-infused cachaça blended with sugar and lime, served with a sumptuous strawberry and cream filled croustade. THE MARYLEBONE 93 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4RE themarylebonelondon.com CHEESECAKE COCO MOMO LAMB RUMP WITH GOAT’S CHEESE & POTATO GRATIN Simmer 250ml double cream, 2 garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary and thyme over a low heat for 5 minutes, sieve, then mix with 4 sliced potatoes and 25g grated parmesan. Layer the potatoes in a roasting dish. Sprinkle with more parmesan and 60g finely sliced goat’s cheese. Cover with foil and cook at 160C for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 10 minutes at 180C. Seal 4 seasoned lamb rumps in hot oil, then roast in the oven at 160C for approximately 6 minutes. In a pan, heat 200g baby spinach, 12 basil leaves and 4 cooked baby artichokes, then serve with rectangles of gratin and slices of lamb. A delicious blend of eyewateringly sour and lipsmackingly sweet: a mix of stolichnaya vanilla vodka, butterscotch schnapps, fresh lemon juice and sugar over crushed ice, enough to eclipse any need for dessert altogether. They had us at ‘cheesecake’. COCO MOMO 79 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5JZ foodandfuel.co.uk LADY OF CAO PACHAMAMA Peruvian restaurant Pachamama has taken Marylebone by storm since its opening late last year. Their lady of cao is a homemade beetrootinfused pisco, chilli sauce, lime and tomato juice. A Peruvian classic with a fiery, fruity twist. PACHAMAMA 18 Thayer Street, W1U 3JY pachamamalondon.com Registered Charity No. 1068298 WHY I LOVE... LAMB RUSSELL FORD TOP TIPPLES INFUSIONS 68—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 68 31/03/2015 13:47 msf2015 Registered Charity No. 1068298 msf2015_mj_adartwk_april_02.indd 1 mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 69 25/03/2015 31/03/2015 11:27 13:47 Health. DR DAVID FORECAST The consultant gastroenterologist at The London Clinic talks cameras, football and the science of flexibility INTERVIEW: VIEL RICHARDSON IMAGE: JOSEPH FOX middle. Endoscopy is the telescopic examination of that tube. How long have you been practising in Marylebone? Since 1990. After I finished training, I was working in various hospitals all over London and spending half my life in the car. The London Clinic invited me in to cover the endoscopy list of a doctor who was ill and I never left. I am a general gastroenterologist with a particular interest in endoscopy and colonoscopy. What is endoscopy? It is the use of camera technology, inserted from an orifice—either the mouth or the anus— to gain access to the digestive tube which runs between the two. The tract is about 5-7m long and, theoretically, two endoscopes could go from either end and meet in the What was the gastroenterology department like when you arrived? In those days the clinic was a very different place and endoscopy was still a young discipline, but even then the department had a very high reputation. The driving force was Dr Chris Williams, who is one of the grandfathers of colonoscopy. Chris actually arrived here in 1980 with the first prototype endoscope on the back of his motorbike. We didn’t have a real understanding of the process, but it was very clear that the introduction of a technique involving fibre optics was very exciting. It was the first time you could get inside the gut and look at it. It could be very difficult and the challenge was one of the things that I found attractive. It also seemed a bit of a bridge between medicine and surgery, which was something else I liked. You must have seen some changes since then? The advances have been huge. First there has been the development of flexibility within the scope. Imagine a hosepipe 1.6m long. I have to get that up your bottom, round a series of bends and corners, to the end of your colon. If the scope is too rigid or too floppy I’m not going to get there, so the science of semi-rigidity and flexibility is vital. Through research and development, people have devised a semi-rigid tube that I can control using wheels to manipulate the front end of the scope, which has the instruments and camera attached. The high definition cameras and viewing screens are amazing, too. The view you get is incredibly clear. The intestines and colon are full of turns and folds. It’s a very complex environment. With the modern scopes I would expect to see over 99.9 per cent of the colon. In the old days you would consider 50 per cent good. You specialise in colonoscopy—tell us a little about that. Colonoscopy is the examination of the colon using the endoscope. There are two aspects: screening and diagnostic. Eighty five per cent of colon cancers start their lives as polyps. If you remove the polyp you will prevent the cancer, and that is what I have been doing for 30 years. Screening is important here. If the whole country had a colonoscopy at 50, we would reduce dramatically the incidence of colon cancer and all the associated suffering. The diagnostic side of colonoscopy is where patients come to us with colonic symptoms such as abdominal pain, a change in bowel movement, persistent diarrhoea, or rectal bleeding— seeking help with this is an absolute must. In these circumstances we undertake a close examination of the colon and possibly take a piece for testing to diagnose the problem. 70—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 70 31/03/2015 13:47 You should be able to scope someone’s colon while they are awake, with no anaesthetic. This is very much about both the doctor and the patient being relaxed. Quite often I talk to them during the procedure, mainly about football 71—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 71 31/03/2015 13:47 Health. What are the biggest challenges? I cannot emphasise enough that safe, painless endoscopy can be a difficult procedure. Especially on the right side of the colon, which is much more difficult and time consuming to get to. You have to understand the environment and know that you often have to pull the scope backwards to progress forwards. Getting all this absolutely right is the art of colonoscopy. You should be able to scope someone’s colon while they are awake, with no anaesthetic, and they should feel very little. The way you achieve this is very much about both the doctor and the patient being relaxed. Quite often I talk to them during the procedure, mainly about football. Guiding the scope is a mentally challenging process, but you have to remember that it is not about getting it from point A to point B. It is about looking for disease Anything else that can cause you problems? While some people have very straightforward, fairly firm colons which make them easier to scope, others—perhaps women who have had pelvic surgery—have a more complicated left side of the colon which can be long, torturous and floppy. Getting the scope through these can be very difficult. You need to understand it early on before you do any damage, which could have serious consequences for the patient. For this you rely on sedation and, in a tiny proportion of cases, general anaesthesia and surgery to access the area. Guiding the scope is very involved and a mentally challenging process, but you have to remember that it is not just about getting it from point A to point B. It is about looking for disease, so you should be carefully examining the passage as you progress. You cannot simply focus on guiding the scope, which there is a risk of, especially when you are new to it. You mentioned that one of the things you look out for is polyps. Are they easy to spot? It depends, as they come in all ifferent shapes and sizes. If the polyp stands up like a mushroom and is 15mm long, it is easy. But they can be flat, 10mm in diameter and the same colour as the surrounding area, which can make finding them a bit of an art form. But they often have a coating of mucus and if you spot that, then you know that you have found a polyp. Because the right side of the colon is more difficult to examine, detecting flat polyps over there can be a real challenge. I’m extremely cautious when I’m on the right side. I spend a long time looking, I make sure I wash the area, I will adjust the position of the patient to give me a good view, and I look at every bit as I progress. Do the newer scopes help with this? On the cameras we can detect a different kind of refraction using green light, which sometimes shows them up well. But the main things are awareness and confidence, and this only comes with training and experience. We are very focused on training here at The London Clinic and our assessment of what is an acceptable standard is significantly above accepted national standards. What conditions have benefited from this technique? Virtually everything in the field of gastroenterology, because of the ability to get a camera and surgical instruments to a specific area. If during the examination you see an area of tissue you don’t like the look of, you can use mini forceps to remove a piece for analysis. Having the ability to do this has changed the entire practice of gastroenterology. THE LONDON CLINIC 20 Devonshire Place, W1G 6BW 020 7935 4444 thelondonclinic.co.uk 72—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 72 31/03/2015 13:47 Do you suffer from headaches, migraine, jaw pain or stress? Do you grind your teeth? NEUROMUSCULAR DENTISTRY MAY BE THE SOLUTION FOR YOU. Dentist Dr Oliver Dunsch FICCMO Specialising in neuromuscular dentistry, which is the use of advanced computer technology to analyse the muscles of the face and jaw and pathology of the jaw joints to help re-establish the jaws in the neutral position. Zenith Dentistry 2 Devonshire Place London W1G 6HJ 020 7486 2723 Call to book your consultation with Dr Dunsch for more information go to: www. zenithdentistry.com 73—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 73 31/03/2015 13:47 Health. IN THE FRAME MARIA ELEFTHERIOU A lead trainer talks about an exercise machine that takes the Barrecore experience to a new level “One of the most exciting things about this new piece of kit is just how well it fits into the approach we use here at Barrecore,” says lead trainer Maria Eleftheriou, refering to the resistance machine that forms the basis of Barrecore’s one-to-one private training (PT) sessions. At over three metres long, two metres tall and nearly a metre wide, the metal frame needs a room all to itself. “The apparatus is made up of a large framework. Stretchy resistance bands are then attached and weights can be added via a system of pulleys. It all sounds a bit complicated, but it means that you can determine precisely how much resistance is used for each exercise. At the lower end of the framework there is a movable platform that the client sits or lies on when doing exercises. It’s an extraordinary looking machine, but once you have worked with it for a while you realise just how incredibly versatile it is.” For Maria, the best thing about the machine is the precision with which it allows you to isolate and work specific muscle groups, a function which is central to the Barrecore approach. “It’s very important,” she continues. “These classes are a great way to help you get the best out of the other Barrecore courses, because it gives you a better understanding of the isolation processes that are at the heart of what we do.” All the PT sessions are on a one-to-one basis. The first session is designed to see how the client’s body performs, as well as understand their strengths and weaknesses. “We go through eight to 10 exercises covering the entire body—at the end of the session you know you’ve had a real workout.” One of the major benefits of the course is the deep knowledge both the client and instructor gain about the client’s body. And as they progress through the programme (the courses are usually sold in batches of eight) it really helps the instructor It is really satisfying seeing the benefits of your private training classes come through. You see them doing better, going further and pushing themselves harder than they were capable of doing before hone in on specific ways to help the client achieve their goals. “One of the nice things about teaching this course is that I get to see the clients while teaching other classes,” says Maria. “I don’t teach it in isolation. It is really satisfying seeing the benefits of your PT classes come through. You see them doing better, going further and pushing themselves harder than they were capable of doing before, as well as their satisfaction as they begin to see and feel the results of the increased work they are putting in.” “I am a big fan of the resistance machine—I use it myself and really love the effects I have seen on my body,” Maria reveals. “It doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or a Barrecore veteran, the PT course helps you deepen your understanding of the exercises and therefore increase the benefits you get out of each class.” BARRECORE 6 Cavendish Square 020 7637 8458 barrecore.co.uk 74—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 74 31/03/2015 13:47 TLC378 Discover what makes us unique. From the moment you set foot in The London Clinic, you are entering an organisation that is dedicated to putting our patients first, and setting the standards for the end to end patient experience in private medical care. Find out more at www.thelondonclinic.co.uk TLC3784_Corporate-Ad_200mmWx250mmH_vAW.indd 75 1 mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 08/05/2014 13:47 10:11 31/03/2015 S M Health. KIT & CABOODLE Audiologist Adam Schulberg of Cubex on the far reaching benefits of the Vibrant Soundbridge hearing system The Vibrant Soundbridge is a hearing system primarily aimed at people who cannot wear conventional hearing systems. This may, for example, be because of conditions such as otitis externa, which causes inflammation of the external ear canal, or recurring ear infections. The system has three components. There are two internal parts: the vibrating ossicular prosthesis (VORP) and the floating mass transducer (FMT—pictured below). Then there is an external lightweight digital audio processor called the amadè. In a simple operation, the VORP is fitted under the skin behind the ear and the FMT is attached to the appropriate place inside the middle ear—usually the incus, which is the middle of three linked bones which make up what is called the ossicular chain. The amadè is then simply placed against the VORP and held in place by small magnets, making it very easy for the patient to attach and remove. The amadè picks up sounds and turns them into electrical signals, which are transmitted through the skin to the VORP. The VORP then transmits the signals to the FMT, which converts them into mechanical vibrations. These directly stimulate the middle ear structures, causing them to vibrate. These vibrations are conducted through to the inner ear in the normal way, where they are passed to the brain and perceived as sound. It makes for a very natural sound, as it uses the normal pathways. While this is still a fairly niche treatment, I think it is one that is only going to grow in popularity because of its ability to bring the benefits of audiology to people who have been missing out on the help they need. BEGINNER’S GUIDE NEUROMUSCULAR DENTISTRY Oliver Dunsch, general, cosmetic and neuromuscular dentist at Zenith Dentistry While dentists usually only look at the teeth, and doctors tend to steer clear of them completely, neuromuscular dentists look at the muscles, the jaw joints and the teeth. This allows them to establish the bite. The lower jaw is like a marionette, with the muscles being the strings that attach it to the skull: if the strings aren’t perfectly aligned, then your positioning is off, which can cause problems and pain both in the jaw and elsewhere. An incorrect bite can be caused by many things and it’s more common than you might imagine. It can start as a child—for example, if you had an allergy that meant you breathed through your mouth, forcing the tongue into a different position to clear the airway and forcing the cheek muscles to keep your palate high and arched and the arch of the teeth narrow and v-shaped. Another cause might be missing, misaligned or tilted teeth, or having a crown or filling with an incorrect height. Your body is able to adapt to many misalignments by having the muscles work full-time to maintain that particular position, and that is what causes problems. The most common symptoms caused by muscle fatigue or muscle spasm are migraines, tension headaches, weak posture, back pain, clicking or popping in the joints and grinding your teeth. Often people don’t even realise they have a problem, or have learned to live with it by taking painkillers, getting a massage, or going to yoga. But that’s treating the symptoms rather than the cause. The first thing we usually do, after an extensive check up and medical history, is relax the chewing muscles with a TENS device, which blocks signals from the brain to the muscles and allows the muscles to reestablish their resting length. The structure of the muscles themselves doesn’t change throughout your life, but they do adapt; this stimulation of the nerve brings back the original position, so we can see the difference between the habitual bite and where it should be physiologically. After establishing the neuromuscular bite, we can fit an orthosis which realigns the jaw and trains the muscles. Many patients will experience an immediate relief and an improvement in their symptoms. During the following weeks and months we will fine tune the orthosis and continue to support the patient. The neuromuscular dentist can be the missing link between the osteopath and the general practitioner. Unfortunately, there are not many neuromuscular dentists in the UK, even though its philosophy and related computer system were developed by Dr Bernard Jankelson in the United States as far back as the 1960s. There has always been a battle between systems and philosophies and sometimes people who need to be referred aren’t, because dentists, doctors and osteopaths either don’t know about neuromuscular dentistry or don’t believe in it. Cooperation between neuromuscular dentists and osteopaths is essential, because all the body’s muscles are attached and can cause ascending and descending problems. Our aim is to inform and educate people— specialists and patients alike— about the opportunities offered by neuromuscular dentistry. Of course there’s no single best way—there are lots of options. But there’s more to the mouth than teeth! 76—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 76 31/03/2015 13:47 Y y w D A o u p Sound is one thing. Making sense is everything. You may hear with your ears, but you listen and understand with your brain. Delivering what your brain needs… Independent hearing healthcare since 1964 AtRather Cubex,than we believe that there is no such thing ashearing a one standard approach to treating losssolution and audiological number is of methods are one strategy fordisorders, all. Every aindividual employed that work and your intertwined to unique and finding theindependently right key to unlock create aiscomplete, potential our role. tailored and individual solution. Cubex LTD 0207 935 5511 Cubex LTD T: T:0207 935 5511 New Cavendish Street E: E:[email protected] [email protected] 2525 New Cavendish Street London W1G 8LP www.cubex.co.uk London W1G 8LP W:W:www.cubex.co.uk mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 77 31/03/2015 13:47 Work. ALL HE SURVEYS NIGEL HARRISON The co-owner of chartered surveyors Harrison Leggett on leases, job satisfaction and the Italian consulate The biggest misconception about chartered surveyors is that we are like the surveyors you might use in a residential purchase, but that is a different area of the field. Chartered surveyors deal with a range of property, either commercial or residential. We are governed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors which has various divisions covering different skills, all of which are related to land and property. I work in what can be termed the general practice division. Our core business centres on the commercial agency side. In simple terms, when companies need new offices they come to us to help facilitate the process. This transaction will have two elements: firstly there is finding the new premises, secondly dealing with the property that they are leaving, which may not be as simple as just moving out. For example, if they own the property and want to let it rather than sell it, suddenly they find themselves contemplating the role of landlords. So whatever a company’s needs are when moving premises, they rely on us get the best terms possible and provide professional guidance. While we do act for both tenants and landlords, I personally primarily act for the tenants. Even when we’ve found our client a building they like, there is still much work to be done. In many ways that’s where the real benefit of hiring a chartered surveyor can be, and a significant amount of money can be saved later on by doing so. There is a lot to think about when moving into a new premises and because we have seen so many businesses go through the process, we can put a lot of experience at their disposal. We can give advice on the length of lease they should be looking at given the size of their business and stage of development. We advise them on whether they need a new structural survey and how the findings of the survey will relate to the leasehold obligations they will be taking on. As well as making sure the price they are being asked for is reasonable, we will also negotiate the level of incentive they get for taking the space, such as how long their free period will be. We will also make sure any service charges are fair. But there are some less obvious things to consider, such as whether you’ll have permission to use it in the way you want, whether there’s a listing and if that will have an impact on how you want to operate, and if the business rate is set at an appropriate level. You would be surprised how often the original asking rate can be reduced. Finding a new property can be expensive, daunting and very time consuming when you are trying to run a company. Even so, it can be vital to continued growth, and asking an outsider to help with something so important is a big step. When someone asks us to find them new premises, it is the beginning of a relationship and building trust is vital. They are entering ground with which they are unfamiliar and which has a lot of jargon and legal technicalities, so they have to feel comfortable taking your advice on how to spend what can be a considerable amount of their money. The first questions we ask a client are “where would you like to be?” and “what is your budget?” If the answers to these are compatible, that’s great: we can start the search. If not they may have to compromise on the size of the building or the location. Some clients may not know what budget they should allow, so we will provide real time advice on current market rents and costs. This is another benefit of having a chartered surveyor. While anyone can jump on the internet and look at properties, a lot of what you see has already been let and is only on the website to tempt you in. As chartered surveyors, and West End property agents, we have a dedicated internet system which only we and other agent members can access. Once we have discussed your requirements regarding location, space and budget, we will use this internet resource to interact with hundreds of London property agents hungry to let their properties to our clients. When you are acquiring space for an occupier, you are affecting someone’s life. Where you work every day has a fundamental impact on your quality of life, so when I find a building that a client really loves it gives me a great sense of satisfaction. The staff are happy, the boss is happy—everyone is happier in the new premises, and that can 78—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 78 31/03/2015 13:47 When you are acquiring space for an occupier, you are affecting someone’s life. Where you work has a fundamental impact on your quality of life, so when I find a building that a client really loves, it gives me a great sense of satisfaction make a huge difference to the performance of the business. When you are working on behalf of the landlord, the relationship is a bit more formal. While it is great knowing that you have got the best possible deal for their premises, it doesn’t have the same emotional satisfaction as speaking to someone you found new premises for and having them tell you what a difference it has made to them and their staff. One of the nice things about this job is the incredibly wide range of people you meet and the vast array of jobs they do. It keeps things interesting because they all have very different needs. One client we have a great relationship with is the Italian consulate. I first met them when they asked us to find them a new building several years ago. As you can imagine they had quite specific requirements. Eventually I found a building for them to buy and negotiated the purchase, while taking care of their existing smaller building in Belgravia. Working with them has been a lot of fun and we have a great relationship. That wasn’t the biggest deal I have negotiated in financial terms. When working for a previous larger practice I negotiated the purchase of a building for £48 million—that was great for everyone, as the commission was spread around the company. Another one of those would be rather enjoyable! HARRISON LEGGETT 20 Little Portland Street, W1W 8BS 0207 384 6130 harrisonleggett.co.uk 79—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 79 31/03/2015 13:47 Space. Local occupiers quite often see scaffolding going up and coming down, but they never see the work once it’s done —this project offered us the opportunity to invite people in OPEN HOUSE HARLEY STREET MEDICAL AREA Claire Kennedy, office and medical lettings director for the Howard de Walden Estate, discusses the unusual launch of a new medical facility With more than 5,500 square feet of floor space split over five floors, when 55 Harley Street came back into the Howard de Walden Estate’s possession after the expiry of a long lease, it was always going to require a substantial amount of refurbishment work before any new occupant could move in. Usually, before embarking on a significant redesign of a medical property, the Estate would seek out a new tenant first and then discuss their specific requirements; this time things took a different path. “Normally when we have a property coming back to us we have identified a tenant already, and we understand their specific needs,” Claire explains. “This time there was no tenant in the wings, so we decided at the Estate to refurbish and launch the building ourselves. It is very rare for us to do; in fact, it is the first time since I have been working here that there has been the opportunity to finish a building and take it to the market—and it is certainly the first time we have ever launched a medical property in this way.” 55 Harley Street has been reconfigured to provide state of the art consulting rooms. There were good reasons for making it a consulting facility rather than, for example, a hospital. “The building lends itself particularly well to this configuration,” says Claire. “While we wanted to substantially alter what it could offer, the structure of the building dictated the level of medical services we could provide. Having assessed the building, our experience told us it would not be appropriate for facilities such as operating theatres and post-operative care. We decided the best approach was to create a first class consulting and day care facility, which has the flexibility to cater for specialists from any medical field. Creating a space with this level of flexibility also allows us to target medical specialties that we may not currently have on the Estate.” Claire believes that 55 Harley Street would work equally well either as a centre for a large practice, or for a cluster of related specialisms. She envisions it as a place for patients to come for initial consultations and assessments. If further care is needed, they can then be referred to one of the excellent hospitals in the surrounding area. After the procedure and post-operative recovery, the patient could then return to 55 Harley Street for ongoing assessments, until their treatment is completed. “The idea is to enhance the world class medical community that already exists in the Harley Street Medical Area,” Claire explains, “or equally, it could work well for someone already within the area whose practice has outgrown their existing property and who needs a larger space better suited to their future needs.” One of the more pleasant benefits of not having a client ready to move in is that it has allowed the Estate to show off the finished building. “Local occupiers quite often see scaffolding going up and coming down, but they never see the work once it’s done—this project offered us the opportunity to invite people in. They get to see how much the Estate is investing in properties and infrastructure in order to make it as useful for the tenant as possible,” Claire reveals. “Several of the building’s previous tenants came back to see what we had done and a lot of them said they wish they were here now. It was lovely to hear their memories and stories about life on Harley Street many years ago. They all liked what we had done to the building, which was really gratifying. Hopefully it will generate warm memories for a new set of clinicians in the 21st century.” HOWARD DE WALDEN ESTATE 23 Queen Anne Street, W1G 9DL 020 7290 0901 hdwe.co.uk 80—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 80 31/03/2015 13:47 81—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 81 31/03/2015 13:47 Space. ASK THE EXPERT JEREMY JAMES Associate partner at Knight Frank Marylebone What are a sales agent’s main responsibilities? Communication is the key! We need to be able to provide the best possible advice to both the seller and the buyer to ensure a positive outcome for both parties. This is where matching the right buyer to the right seller is so important. Both will have a price in mind and it is our job to marry the two together. However, agreeing the sale is only the start. Once the contract is in the hands of the solicitor, it is our job to keep the momentum going. We are the glue that holds the process together. If you were to give one piece of advice to a seller, what would it be? Make sure you know as much about your property as possible. There are a number of essential pieces of information that buyers will require, but it is also useful to know about the history of the property; from any alterations, to what the neighbours are like. Buying a property is a huge commitment, so potential purchasers will ask lots of questions to ensure they are making the right decision. The more answers you have readily available, the quicker you are likely to sell. PROPERTY OF THE MONTH WIMPOLE STREET Tim Fairweather from Sandfords on a bright, stylish pied-a-terre C M Y CM MY CY CMY K This stunning refurbishment in the centre of Marylebone would make a wonderful home for a couple wishing to enjoy the best of what London has to offer, or a great pied-a-terre for someone working in Marylebone or the City. One of the more unusual aspects of the apartment is the 30ft reception room which leads to a roof terrace. The reception room makes for a great entertainment space throughout the year, but with the terrace doors open in the summer months this apartment offers another dimension to city living. The outside of the building has a traditional look, in fitting with many of the period buildings on Wimpole Street. The interior has a more modern edge with wooden floors and a semi-open plan, contemporary kitchen. South-west facing from the reception room, the apartment benefits from lots of light and, on top of that, has an unusually long lease: currently at around 147 years. Being on the southern part of Wimpole Street means it is very close to Cavendish Square, the West End, and everything Marylebone High Street has to offer. All this amounts to a very desirable property in the heart of one of London’s most sought-after areas. SANDFORDS 6 Paddington Street, W1U 5QC 020 7224 4994 sandfords.com 82—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 82 31/03/2015 13:47 Preside MJ Proof 02 18_03_14.pdf 1 18/03/2014 11:36 You can tell our buildings from those managed by our competitors C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Preside Residential block & estate management Celebrating 30 years experience & local knowledge acquired from operating in West One Preside, One Hinde Street, Marylebone, London W1U 2AY www.preside.co.uk T: 020 7224 0011 E: [email protected] mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 83 31/03/2015 13:47 Space. 84—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 84 31/03/2015 13:47 SIMON HEDLEY The director of Druce Marylebone on development properties, overseas buyers and chatting with locals INTERVIEW: VIEL RICHARDSON PORTRAIT: JOSEPH FOX What attracted you to Druce? The chance to run my own office. I was very happy as a senior negotiator in my previous company, but the chance to get an office here and do my own thing really appealed to me. How did you come to be an estate agent? My father was in property so I had always been interested in it. I owned a place in Belsize Park and had a lodger who owned an estate agency. She would tell me about her work and it just sounded like a really interesting job. I was working in retail at the time and she helped me get a job with a Hampstead agency. I then moved to an agency in Marylebone, before setting up this office in 1997. I’ve been here ever since. What is Druce known for? Druce is known for its high quality instructions, and in my opinion we offer a very bespoke service. We are very involved in the community and very passionate about Marylebone—something I am not sure can be said about some of the multiples and large international agencies. How would you define your role? I do have a partner who was the original owner of the company, but my role is like that of a managing director. I am very much involved in the running of the business, as well as selling property. It is about making sure all the departments run smoothly as well as marketing, hiring staff, training, that kind of thing. I am always looking to the future to see how we can push the agency forward. In recent years we have been more and more involved in the development market. Can you explain what you mean by development? Development is essentially taking over a block or a group of properties and bringing them to the market. For example, the development of the Fitzrovia Apartments is something we have been very closely involved in. When the client went to buy the site, which was owned by the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, I went with him to offer advice on what I thought could be done with the site, the likely resales, what the requirements would be and appropriate finishes. We can also give clients like this a GDV figure, which stands for gross development value, and they can work out from there what they want as a maximum bid. Why did you get into development? One of the defining aspects of the Marylebone market in recent years has been the stark lack of stock. A natural way for us to evolve is to become more involved with developments which bring new properties to the market, increasing supply and offering something different. How would you characterise the market at the moment? In one word, cautious. There is still a general feeling of not really wanting to do anything until after the election. However in recent weeks there has been some strong movement, leading to four larger sales, so maybe Marylebone’s resilience is once again shining through. Who is being affected most by the uncertainty? Fifty per cent of our buyers last year were from overseas, mainly France and western Europe. A lot of them weren’t buying their primary residence but are living and working here, so it may be a second or third property. These are the guys having second thoughts. Five years ago, buying in Marylebone was a nobrainer if you could afford it. Now the tax burden on both buying and selling is higher, which means a lot of people who would have spontaneously bought in the past are holding back. What are the main challenges of working in Marylebone? A big one is maintaining relationships with clients, because there is so much competition nowadays. There are more than 70 agencies serving the area, many of which do not bring anything much to the table, just cashing in on a local boom. We have been here almost 200 years and more recently have been very much at the forefront of the Marylebone revival. What do you like about working here? I really love the area. I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but Marylebone has that West End glamour and excitement, mixed with the community feel of the village, which is rare. I remember sitting outside Topkapi, one of my favourite restaurants, at lunchtime one day and while I was there, I must have got chatting to 25 different people. That just gives you a sense of the area. What is your favourite part of the job? The people. When you’ve been around as long as I have you’ve seen a lot of the buildings several times, but the people you meet on a daily basis are always interesting. DRUCE 61 Weymouth Street, W1G 8NR 020 7935 6535 druce.com 85—marylebonejournal.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_compendium_FINAL.indd 85 31/03/2015 13:47 MonTAGU SqUARE MARyLEbonE, W1 TimFairweather Director [email protected] MARyLEbonE oFFICE 6 Paddington Street Marylebone London W1U 5qG T:02072244994 E: [email protected] mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 86 ASKInG PRICE: £3,350,000 SHARE oF FREEHoLD A recently renovated and bright top floor three bedroom duplex apartment with stunning views over Montagu Square. The top floor apartment is located on the third and fourth floor of a refurbished Georgian building. The flat benefits from both east and west facing windows ensuring maximum sunlight. It boasts a living room area and a separate dining room, together with three bedrooms, two with en suite bathrooms and a further guest bathroom. The upstairs reception area leads to a 900sqft unbuilt terrace space, for which our clients have Council planning permission and architectural plans. The flat is located on Montagu Square, one of London’s most desirable garden squares, with beautifully manicured resident only gardens. The flat is superbly located for both Hyde Park and Regent’s Park, together with the world class shops and restaurants of Marylebone and the West End. Underground and rail links are excellent from neighbouring Marble Arch, Edgware Road, Marylebone and Paddington, and road access to the West and Heathrow is via the A40(M). EPC=C. 31/03/2015 13:48 sandfords.com MonTAGU MAnSIonS LonDon, W1 £1,650 PER WEEK UnFURnISHED +FEES JuliaGarberMARLA Director [email protected] An immaculate and wonderfully spacious, two/three double bedroom apartment situated on the second floor of this highly sought after, red brick mansion block in Marylebone. MARyLEbonE oFFICE 6 Paddington Street Marylebone London W1U 5qG The property comprises a large entrance hallway with built in storage, double reception room with high ceilings and original period features, fully equipped, eat in kitchen, dining room/third bedroom with floor to ceiling windows opening on to small balcony, master bedroom with en suite shower room and further large double bedroom with built in storage. Further benefits include hard wood floors, lift access and porter. T:02072244994 E: [email protected] Montagu Mansions is ideally located within a few minutes walk to Marylebone High Street and the excellent transport links of baker Street. EPC=C. Potential tenants should be advised that, in addition to rent, an administration fee of £252 per property plus £30 reference fee per tenant will apply when renting a property. Please contact us for further information on other charges that may apply or see our Tenant Guide which can be downloaded from our website. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 87 31/03/2015 13:48 WELCOME TO 66 WIGMORE STREET, THE LATEST OFFICE DEVELOPMENT BY THE HOWARD DE WALDEN ESTATE AND PART OF THE ESTATE’S ONGOING DEVELOPMENT WORK AND COMMITMENT TO THE AREA. Due for completion in early 2016 this state of the art office development, offering 55,000 SQ FT of new office space, cascading roof gardens, central atrium, public art and terraces has been located in a prime spot at the junction of Marylebone Lane and Wigmore street to coincide with the Estate’s much awaited enhancement works to provide a shared surface along the length of Marylebone Lane, creating a new pedestrian friendly gateway to the highly acclaimed shopping destination of Marylebone Village. Works to the lane are set to commence in early May 2015. WWW.HDWE.CO.UK 020 7290 0970 Computer generated images for indicative purposes only. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 88 31/03/2015 13:48 Mcglash Executive Rental Specialists 020 7486 6711 [email protected] / lettings @mcglashans.co.uk Maybury Court, Marylebone W1 A charming 4th floor flat which has been refurbished to a high standard throughout, living / dining room, kitchen, double bedroom, bathroom £650 per week furnished Weymouth Street, Marylebone W1 A stunning penthouse apartment in a portered block, open plan kitchen/ living/ dining, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, utility room £1,950 per week furnished/unfurnished Wythburn Place, Marylebone W1 A unique and beautifully presented contemporary mews house, living room, dining room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, guest wc, decked terrace £1,350 per week unfurnished Shillibeer Place, Marylebone W1 A great recently refurbished mews hous, living/dining room with open plan kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, guest cloakroom £1,200 per week furnished/unfurnished Bell Street, Marylebone NW1 A delightful new development of flats in a period house that has been recently refurbished, open plan living room, kitchen, bedroom with en suite bathroom £400 per week unfurnished Crawford Street, Marylebone W1 A recently refurbished 1st floor apartment in a period lateral conversion, reception with open plan kitchen, bedroom with en suite bathroom £525 per week furnished 43 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2NS mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 89 Mcglashans Apr 15.indd 1 www.mcglashans.co.uk 31/03/2015 13:48 25/03/2015 13:57:46 Marylebone High Street, W1 £1,895,000 Set on the second floor of this exclusive development on Marylebone High Street is a beautifully presented three bedroom apartment. Further benefits include lift access, high ceilings and allocated underground parking. •Secondfloor •Threebedrooms •Shareoffreehold •Lift Marylebone Sales 53–55 Weymouth Street, London W1G 8NJ mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 90 •Undergroundparking •Energyratingd 020 7224 5544 31/03/2015 13:48 M 4 Luxborough Street, W1 £1,250,000 An extensively refurbished raised ground floor apartment with high ceilings situated within this small purpose built block in MaryleboneVillage.Thepropertyfurtherbenefitsfromalongleaseandlowservicecharge. •Longlease •Lowservicecharge •Immaculatecondition •Westfacing Marylebone Sales 53–55 Weymouth Street, London W1G 8NJ mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 91 •Highceilings •Energyratingf 020 7224 5544 31/03/2015 13:48 Bickenhall Street, Marylebone, W1 A wonderful duplex penthouse apartment on the sixth and seventh floors of this prestigious Edwardian mansion block that benefits from three balconies and a terrace and is in superb condition throughout, featuring approximately 1,700 square feet of living accommodation. Energy Rating: C Call 020 3394 0027. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 92 4 4 1 £2,595,000 – Leasehold 31/03/2015 13:48 Hallam Street, Marylebone, W1 A beautifully refurbished and spacious apartment on the third floor of a portered purpose built block with passenger lift. The property is approximately 1,359 sq ft and is located moments from the green open space of Regents Park as well as the transport links at Great Portland Street and 3 Oxford Circus. Energy Rating: D 2 1 £2,650,000 - Leasehold Call 020 3394 0027. kayandco.com Estate Agents mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 93 | Development & Investment Consultants | Block Managers 31/03/2015 13:48 UPPER MAISONETTE DEVONSHIRE MEWS SOUTH W1 A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A QUIETLY LOCATED MEWS PROPERTY WITH A VAULTED RECEPTION ROOM AND TWO SOUTH AND WEST FACING ROOF TERRACES. This home, which is arranged mainly over two floors, has the benefit of its own entrance, is presented in immaculate condition and has a reception room with a high vaulted ceiling. Devonshire Mews South is the premier mews in Marylebone and is conveniently located for Marylebone High Street and the open spaces of Regent’s Park. ACCOMMODATION * Reception Room * Kitchen * 3 Double Bedrooms * Ensuite Shower Room * Family Bathroom * Utility Room * Study * 2 Roof Terraces AMENITIES Joint Sole Agents ESTABLISHED 1822 020 7935 6535 [email protected] druce.com * Private Entrance * Independent Heating & Hot Water * Entry Phone * EPC Rating C LEASEHOLD: 91 YEARS £2,950,000 STC mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 94 Druce_Single.indd 1 31/03/2015 15:16 13:48 20/03/2015 H . 15 15:16 mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 95 31/03/2015 13:48 This impressive mews house has been the subject of an extensive refurbishment of both the exterior and interior. Combining original coach house architecture with more contemporary design, this sizeable house provides the ultimate in luxury living and state of the art innovation. Set over three floors, it accommodates three double bedroom suites with two substantial reception areas and further benefits from a stunning 30ft terrace and an integral garage. ACCOMMODATION SPECIFICATIONS INCLUDE Master bedroom suite, 2 further bedroom suites, Principal open plan living and entertaining space with bespoke fitted kitchen, 2nd reception room/family room, Utility room, Guest cloakroom, Loft storage, Integral garage, Terrace, Patio. Underfloor heating throughout entire house, VRF heating and cooling system, Lutron lighting, AV system throughout including Sonos and Apple TV with inset ceiling speakers, Bespoke fitted kitchen, Miele and Siemens kitchen appliances, Italian marble worktop and surrounds, Natural stone flooring, Fitted bespoke joinery throughout, Floor to ceiling sliding glass terrace doors, Parquet wood flooring to reception room, Bespoke fitted dressing room to master bedroom, Fitted wardrobes in remaining bedrooms, Italian marble slabs to bathrooms, Aquavision TV, Video entry system, 10 year defects insurance from BLP. A truly exceptional family home located in a quiet cobbled mews in the heart of Marylebone Village. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 96 Druce_DPS_LHP.indd 1 31/03/2015 15:17 13:48 20/03/2015 Druce_ 15 15:17 WEYMOUTH MEWS MARYLEBONE W1 £5,350,000 STC Leasehold 900 Years +44 (0)20 7935 6535 www.druce.com mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 97 Druce_DPS_RHP.indd 2 31/03/2015 20/03/2015 13:48 15:19 Baker Street, Marylebone NW1 £1,900,000 2 Stunning and well laid out two bedrooms apartment in this popular portered building with far reaching views of the city and the treetops of Regent’s Park. 2 1 3 1 Leasehold George Street, Marylebone W1 £4,250,000 Exceptionally bright and spacious, interior designed sixth floor apartment within what is arguably considered one of Marylebone’s finest residential buildings with twenty-four hour uniformed porterage. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 98 Manors Apr 15.indd 1 3 Share of Freehold 31/03/2015 13:48 25/03/2015 14:43:48 Manors 14:43:48 Sales / 020 7486 5655 Visit / 1 Baker Street, W1U 8ED Email / [email protected] Click / manors.co.uk Upper Berkeley Street, Marylebone W1 £995,000 1 Recently refurbished, bright one bedroom apartment set in a small red brick mansion block adjacent to Portman Square. 1 1 2 1 Leasehold Great Cumberland Place, Marylebone W1 £1,300,000 2 A well proportioned two bedroom apartment comprising approximately 1,000 sq.ft. is available for sale on the 33 year lease. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 99 Manors Apr 15.indd 2 Leasehold 31/03/2015 13:48 25/03/2015 14:45:03 33 New Cavendish Street, London, W1G 9TS +44(0) 20 7486 4111 www.jeremy-james.co.uk [email protected] A R DEANS MEWS, MARYLEBONE VILLAGE, W1 Fantastic mews house (1920 sq-ft) split over three floors boasting a large reception room, roof terrace and three double bedrooms. Deans Mews is situated off Cavendish Square close to Bond Street underground station and Oxford Street with its array of shops and restaurants. Marylebone High Street is only moments away with Regents Park close by. Accommodation Master bedroom • En-suite bathroom • Two double bedrooms • Second en-suite bathroom • Two guest cloakrooms • Utility • Kitchen • Living room • Roof terrace EPC Rating E Please see website for full details. £1,600 per week unfurnished WIMPOLE MEWS, MARYLEBONE VILLAGE, W1 P T E u Impressive mews house provides excellent living and entertaining space on a quiet street, only a few minutes walk from the boutiques and cafes of Marylebone High Street. Oxford Circus Underground Station is within a 5 minute walk. Accommodation Large reception room with open plan kitchen • Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom • Further two double bedrooms • One single bedroom Attic room / home office • Family bathroom • Shower room • Basement large play room / home office • Garage EPC Rating D Please see website for full details. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 100 M m £1,750 per week unfurnished 31/03/2015 13:48 w Winkwo S 1 k k A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON BUYING, RENTING AND SELLING HOMES. PARK STREET, MAYFAIR, W1 £3,150,000 STC This recently refurbished two bedroom conversion flat is located within a former terraced Queen Anne style period house and is available for immediate occupation. Entrance hall | Double reception room with open-plan dining area and wooden floors | kitchen and adjacent breakfast area | WC with walk-through coat cupboard | Separate utility room with drying area | Master bedroom suite | Second double bedroom suite with fitted wardrobes and qualification for City of Westminster parking permits. MARYLEBONE | 020 7467 5770 [email protected] winkworth.co.uk/marylebone mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 101 Winkworth ad april 15.indd 1 Scan this code to download the Winkworth iPhone app OFFICES IN LONDON, THE COUNTRY AND OVERSEAS. SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY 31/03/2015 13:48 25/03/2015 14:47:59 104 George Street, W1U 8PB 020 7486 2321 www.lordestates.com Bickenhall Street, W1 A tastefully presented, full of natural light three bedroom apartment situated on the second floor (with lift) of this impressive red brick mansion block with 24 hour security. The property comprises of a large reception room, a separate dining room, kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a guest cloakroom. Bickenhall Street is situated off Baker Street therefore within easy walking distance of the shops, restaurants and transport facilities of Marylebone High Street, as well as the open spaces of Regent’s Park. EPC=C £2,595,000 mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 102 Lord Apr 15.indd 1 31/03/2015 13:48 25/03/2015 14:02:02 c 14:02:02 carterjonas.co.uk Devonshire street Marylebone W1 Moments from Marylebone High Street, a fantastic apartment that has been recently refurbished to a very high standard. Reception room • 2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms • Communal terrace 2nd floor with lift • Long lease EPC rating C Guide price £1,675,000 Marylebone & Regents Park 020 7486 8866 [email protected] Wimpole street Marylebone W1 This impressive Georgian period townhouse has been refurbished to an extremely high standard. The property has a lift serving all floors of the house. 2 reception rooms • 5 bedrooms 4 bathrooms • 2 kitchens • Dressing room • Roof terrace • EPC rating D £5,500 pw*/£23,833.33 pm* Unfurnished Marylebone & Regents Park 020 7486 8866 [email protected] *Rent excludes administration fees. Please contact our branch who can provide this information. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 103 31/03/2015 13:48 savills.co.uk 1 A CHARMING GROUND FLOOR FLAT WITH A PORTER hallam street, w1 Reception room ø contemporary kitchen ø bedroom ø porter ø private entrance ø 56 sq m (603 sq ft) ø EPC=D Savills Marylebone Georgie Tarry [email protected] 020 3527 0400 Guide £995,000 Leasehold, approximately 99 years remaining mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 104 31/03/2015 13:48 savills.co.uk 1 AN EXCEPTIONAL THREE BEDROOM FLAT IN A GEORGIAN BUILDING montagu square, w1 Reception room ø kitchen/dining room ø master bedroom with en suite bathroom ø 2 further bedrooms ø bathroom ø terrace ø patio ø residents garden square ø 148 sq m (1,596 sq ft) ø EPC=G Savills Marylebone Georgie Tarry [email protected] 020 3527 0400 Guide £2.65 million Leasehold, approximately 38 years remaining mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 105 31/03/2015 13:48 savills.co.uk LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY 1 A RECENTLY REFURBISHED THREE BEDROOM FLAT marylebone high street, w1 3 bedrooms ø reception room ø kitchen ø 2 bathrooms ø 76 sq m (1,033 sq ft) ø Council Tax=F ø EPC=C Unfurnished Guide £935 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Marylebone Emma Higgins [email protected] 0203 527 0407 2 A RECENTLY REFURBISHED ONE BEDROOM FLAT WITH A LIFT faraday house, w1 Bedroom ø open plan reception room/kitchen ø bathroom ø shower room ø porter ø lift ø parking space ø 70 sq m (758 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=E Flexible furnishings Guide £795 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Marylebone Ashleigh Cumberbatch [email protected] 0203 527 0408 *£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/ guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 106 31/03/2015 13:48 L L O savills.co.uk LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY 1 A BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED THREE BEDROOM FLAT new cavendish street, w1 3 bedrooms ø open plan reception room/ dining room/kitchen ø 3 bathrooms ø lift ø porter ø 156 sq m (1,677 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=F Furnished Guide £1,950 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Marylebone Emma Higgins [email protected] 0203 527 0407 2 A TWO BEDROOM FLAT WITH HARD WOOD FLOORING THROUGHOUT portland place, w1 2 bedrooms ø reception room ø kitchen ø 2 bathrooms ø lift ø porter ø 108 sq m (1,158 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=C Unfurnished Guide £995 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Marylebone Ashleigh Cumberbatch [email protected] 0203 527 0408 *£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/ guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 107 31/03/2015 13:48 Specifications include underfloor heating throughout, air conditioning to all living and bedrooms, Crestron programmable lighting, integrated sound system, video entry system, intruder alarm, fire alarm sprinkler system and rooftop solar panels to reduce energy consumption. Clay Street is situated in the heart of Marylebone and is ideally located for the boutique shops and restaurants of both Marylebone and Mayfair, the green open spaces of Regent’s and Hyde Park, as well as all the entertainment amenities of the West End. mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 108 KF_Marylebone Jnl_DPS_LHP.indd 1 ACCOMMODATION & AMENITIES 3 double bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms • Open-plan living space benefiting from a Leicht designed kitchen with integrated Gaggenau, Miele and Siemens appliances and private balcony • 2nd reception room • Study • Guest cloakroom • Utility room • Integral garage Approximate sizes from 191 sq m (2,065 sq ft) Prices from £3,800,000 31/03/2015 17:40 13:48 17/03/2015 KF_Mar n h e • 15 17:40 A collection of five contemporary mews houses Four floors of luxurious living space incorporating the latest in modern technology, each benefiting from a balcony and an integral garage. CLAY STREET MARYLEBONE W1 Joint sole agents A development by Bryce Malcolmson 020 7861 1150 David Russell 020 3435 6440 [email protected] mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 109 KF_Marylebone Jnl_DPS_RHP.indd 2 Simon Hedley 020 7935 6535 [email protected] 31/03/2015 15:54 13:48 17/03/2015 Portman Close, Marylebone W1 A large one bedroom apartment A superb one bedroom apartment of generous proportions on the ground floor of a modern purpose built portered apartment block in the heart of Marylebone Village. Double bedroom with extensive built in storage, large contemporary bathroom with bath and separate shower, open plan living and entertaining space with fully integrated kitchen and dining area. The property is air conditioned and under floor heated throughout. EPC: C. Approximately 74.7 sq m (804 sq ft). Leasehold: 121 years approximately remaining KnightFrank.co.uk/marylebone [email protected] 020 3641 7937 C A A p e w A @KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk L Guide price: £1,450,000 G MRY150034 M mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 110 KF sales Apr 15.indd 2 31/03/2015 13:48 25/03/2015 14:54:04 KF sales George Street, Marylebone W1 A two bedroom apartment with private parking KnightFrank.co.uk/marylebone [email protected] 020 3641 7937 An immaculate two bedroom apartment located on the third floor of a Grade II listed conversion benefitting from a lift, concierge and CCTV for added security. Master bedroom with built in storage and en suite shower room with WC, bedroom 2 with built in storage, family bathroom, reception room, fitted kitchen, secure underground car park space. Approximately 73.7 sq m (792 sq ft). Leasehold: 106 years approximately remaining Guide price: £1,800,000 MRY150020 @KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk Clarence Gate Gardens, Marylebone NW1 A three bedroom mansion block apartment KnightFrank.co.uk/marylebone [email protected] 020 3641 7937 A newly refurbished three bedroom apartment on the raised ground floor of a portered red brick mansion block close to Regent’s Park. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, 2 further bedrooms, shower room with WC, reception room with dining area, fully fitted kitchen with access onto a small balcony. EPC: D. Approximately 98.6 sq m (1,068 sq ft) Leasehold: 93 years approximately remaining @KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk Guide price: £1,625,000 MRY150046 mj_mag_2015_volume11_02_ads_FINAL.indd 112 KF sales Apr 15.indd 4 31/03/2015 13:48 25/03/2015 14:57:19 Wyndham Mews, Marylebone W1 An immaculate apartment A newly refurbished three bedroom apartment located in a quiet mews. Comprising master bedroom and en suite bathroom, 2nd double bedroom, 3rd bedroom / study, family shower room, spacious open plan reception / dining room, separate fully fitted contemporary kitchen with brand new appliances. EPC rating D. Approximately 134.6 sq m (1,449 sq ft) Available furnished Guide price: £1,250 per week KnightFrank.co.uk/marylebone [email protected] 020 3544 2485 Glentworth Street, Marylebone W1 Grade II listed Georgian townhouse This beautifully presented three bedroom apartment is situated in one of Marylebone’s most sought after mansion blocks. Master bedroom and en suite bathroom, 2 further bedrooms, family bathroom, reception room with dining area, contemporary kitchen with utility room. The property further benefits from a lift and porter. Approximately 128.1 sq m (1,379 sq ft) Available furnished Guide price: £1,500 per week All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges @KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk trust PARTNERSHIP, IT’S IN OUR NATURE. Marketing a property can be an exciting process, but it can also be stressful and even overwhelming. That’s where having a partner you can truly trust makes such a difference. At Carter Jonas, our expert advice and tailored service enable us to build lasting, intelligent and trusted partnerships with our clients. Please contact us today for a free market appraisal. Marylebone & Regents Park T: 020 7486 8866 E: [email protected] carterjonas.co.uk
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