The Steeple Times

Tag: April 2017

  • An MP’s Manor

    An MP’s Manor

    Norfolk manor house owned by anti-Brexit Conservative politician Lord Prior of Brampton for sale for £3 million

     

    David Prior – now The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of Brampton – undoubtedly was a decent and able Member of Parliament. Educated at Charterhouse and Cambridge, he became first an investment banker with Lehman Brothers and Lazard and then subsequently represented the Norfolk North constituency between 1997 and 2001.

     

    A Conservative but one with a belief that “the role of the market is hugely limited in health and social care” and that Brexit will be “a terrible mistake”, 62-year old Mr Prior – whose father was the “Tory wet” Jim, later The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior PC (1927 – 2016) – acquired Swannington Manor, ten miles north of Norwich in 1990 with his wife and has recently put it up for sale for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million).

     

    Standing in 96.5 acres, Swannington Manor is a Grade II listed red brick built house that dates to around 1700. It retains many period features, extends to 7,519 square foot and includes 5 reception rooms, 8 bedrooms and a self-contained annexe. A 3 bedroom lodge – let on a protected tenancy – stands beside the property’s entrance gates and aside from various outbuildings, barns and stores, there are formal and informal gardens, a kitchen garden, a heated outdoor swimming pool and a hard tennis court.

     

    Primarily to the south and west of the house are grazing meadows, water meadows, a trout stream, a series of ponds and areas of woodland. These have been maintained with conservation and duck flighting in mind and form what the selling agents Savills describe as “a small sporting estate”.

     

    Surprisingly, given his comments about Britain leaving the EU, Lord Prior of Brampton was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 21st December 2016.

     

    An MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of BramptonAn MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of BramptonAn MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of Brampton An MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of BramptonAn MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of BramptonAn MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of BramptonAn MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of BramptonAn MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of BramptonAn MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of BramptonAn MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of BramptonAn MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of BramptonAn MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of Brampton An MP’s Manor – Swannington Manor, Manor Drive, Swannington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5NR – For sale with Savills for £3 million ($3.8 million, €3.5 million or درهم13.8 million) – Home to The Rt. Hon. The Lord Prior of Brampton

  • A Balls-Up

    A Balls-Up

    Shame on ‘The Sun’ for publishing a non-story about a child being hit by a football in Belgrave Square; the ball was kicked by a girl who was with the footballer Cesc Fàbregas

     

    On Wednesday, the The Sun indulged in one of their most sensationalist pieces of journalism in recent months when they published an article that reported on a child being hit on the head by a football in Belgrave Square.

     

    According to Victoria Diethardt – the 29-year old wife of an investment banker and mother of the child hit by the ball – after her “little ray of sunshine” suffered the unwelcome “ordeal”, she confronted Chelsea player Cesc Fàbregas, who was with a girl who had kicked the ball. Mrs Diethardt told The Sun:

     

    “I wasn’t going to let them leave without knowing who was responsible. I asked the man his name but his wife stepped forward and said she was Daniella [Cesc Fàbregas’ partner] and gave me her number… I had no idea who Fàbregas was until after he left when others in the park told me”.

     

    Mrs Diehardt’s child was later diagnosed with a minor head injury but, as is now typically the way, she gave her story to The Sun (presumably for a fee) and ridiculously told the tabloid: “Fàbregas should pay for the rest of his life”.

     

    In response, a spokesman for Mr Fàbregas sensibly remarked:

     

    “Both Daniella and her daughter apologised profusely and Daniella has called and texted since to see if the baby was OK. When they got no response they presumed there was no cause for concern”.

     

    Plainly only published due to a lack of other news, the story generated many comments when later shared by the Mail Online. Amongst them, were many suggesting that the Diehardt was trying to make money out of a non-incident. One went as far as to remark: “This woman is trying to cash in because of who he is” whilst another added: “Call her out for what she is – a FREELOADER”.

     

  • Morons of the Moment – Piccadilly Boy Racers

    Morons of the Moment – Piccadilly Boy Racers

    Insensitive showoffs wreak havoc in Parliament Square with their gaudy supercars; they claimed to be honouring the dead and injured of the Westminster attack but simply caused annoyance

     

    Though five people died and around fifty others were injured as a result of Khalid Masood smashing his rented 4×4 into them on Westminster Bridge on 22nd March, a group of insensitive showoffs decided it would be appropriate to cause gridlock with their gaudy supercars in Parliament Square on Sunday.

     

    Shabs Ahmad, a spokesman for the group, which is known as the Piccadilly Boy Racers, told the MailOnline:

     

    “Following recent attacks in Westminster which cost the lives of innocent civilians as well as PC Keith Palmer, we felt it was only right to pay our condolences and show our love by standing united to oppose the atrocious acts of violence”.

     

    “We felt that being British Muslims with a platform, we wanted to speak up against such acts and bring people of all race and religion together as a symbol of peace, love and unity”.

     

    The police felt quite differently about their presence and told these ridiculous vulgarians to swiftly to move on.

     

    Morons of the Moment – Piccadilly Boy Racers – Insensitive showoffs cause havoc in Parliament Square with their gaudy supercars. The Piccadilly Boy Racers should be ashamed of themselves.

  • 81 Miles From New

    81 Miles From New

    1996 Mercedes-Benz SL500 that has been driven just 81 miles and stored in a Knightsbridge garage since new to be auctioned for 1,000% more than a normal example of its age

     

    A Mercedes-Benz with a difference is to be auctioned on its twenty-first birthday on 12th April. The car to be offered is an SL500 that effectively has covered an average of just 3.9 miles per year during its lifetime and it is presented in “virtually new condition”.

     

    Offered by Coys of Kensington, the Imperial Red with Mushroom leather two-seat roadster was bought from Normand of Mayfair and was only recently recommissioned after spending the vast majority of its life locked in a Knightsbridge garage.

     

    Of the time warp car, Chris Routledge, CEO of Coys of Kensington, remarked:

     

    “This is a car with a fantastic story. Purchased as a birthday present and driven only 81 miles before the [female] owner lost the keys and never drove it again. It even comes with a letter written by the owner’s butler verifying its mileage and its provenance”.

     

    “Had she not lost the keys and used it regularly, we estimate it would now be worth between £5,000 to £7,000 ($6,200 to $8,700, €5,900 to €8,200 or درهم22,800 to درهم31,900), but the fact that it has kept such a low mileage and has not been driven in more than twenty years makes it worth between £45,000 and £55,000 ($56,000 to $68,000, €53,000 to €64,000 or درهم205,000 to درهم251,000)”.

     

    “What happened with the keys remains a mystery but the car comes with new keys for the new owner”.

     

    81 Miles From New – 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL500 that has covered just 81 miles since new to be auctioned by Coys of Kensington at their Spring Classics 2017 sale on 12th April with an estimate of £45,000 to £55,000 ($56,000 to $68,000, €53,000 to €64,000 or درهم205,000 to درهم251,000) 81 Miles From New – 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL500 that has covered just 81 miles since new to be auctioned by Coys of Kensington at their Spring Classics 2017 sale on 12th April with an estimate of £45,000 to £55,000 ($56,000 to $68,000, €53,000 to €64,000 or درهم205,000 to درهم251,000)

  • Taking the Tito

    Taking the Tito

    Ex-Marshal Tito Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet for sale for staggering sum 1,598% higher than similar examples owned by other dictators

     

    “Benevolent communist dictator” Marshal Josip Tito, 1st President of Yugoslavia (1892 – 1980) had use of a Boeing 727 plane, a private train and a 55-foot yacht but now the 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman ‘Presidential Landaulet’ he travelled around in from 1971 to 1980 is for sale for the staggering sum of £2.5 million ($3.1 million, €2.9 million or درهم11.4 million) through Tom Hartley Jnr. in Derbyshire, England.

     

    Taking the Tito – 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Presidential Landaulet – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.1 million, €2.9 million or درهم11.4 million) through Tom Hartley Jnr. – Originally owned by Marshal Josip Tito, 1st President of Yugoslavia (1892 – 1980)
    Tito with the car in the background
    Taking the Tito – 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Presidential Landaulet – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.1 million, €2.9 million or درهم11.4 million) through Tom Hartley Jnr. – Originally owned by Marshal Josip Tito, 1st President of Yugoslavia (1892 – 1980)
    Tito used to take his dog for rides in the vehicle
    Taking the Tito – 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Presidential Landaulet – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.1 million, €2.9 million or درهم11.4 million) through Tom Hartley Jnr. – Originally owned by Marshal Josip Tito, 1st President of Yugoslavia (1892 – 1980)
    And apparently he used to shave in it too

     

    Capable of achieving 0 mph to 100 mph in 10 seconds, this 2.5-tonne, 6.3-litre limousine was built to Tito’s personal specification. The ‘dictator-mobile’s’ bespoke features numbered not only a drinks cabinet but also a shaving kit in its rear centre console and despite having covered 17,012 miles and having passed through various owners, is in remarkably good condition.

     

    Justifying the punchy price sought, in November 2016, Tom Hartley Jnr. told Car Dealer magazine:

     

    “I’ve always been in love with the car. It’s a very significant and very important car – all of the Landaulets are, and only nine of them were built in the long roof, six-door configuration. Of those nine, this is probably regarded as the most original, the most unmolested car and it also has great provenance”.

     

    A 1965 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman owned by China’s Foreign Minister, Chen Yi, sold for just £147,200 ($182,800, €172,500 or درهم671,400) in 2014 whilst just £225,000 ($279,400, €263,700 or درهم1.03 million) was sought for a 1977 example originally owned by Bokassa I of Central Africa in 2015.

     

    Taking the Tito – 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Presidential Landaulet – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.1 million, €2.9 million or درهم11.4 million) through Tom Hartley Jnr. – Originally owned by Marshal Josip Tito, 1st President of Yugoslavia (1892 – 1980)
    Naturally, the needs of drinkers was a prime consideration when it came to bespoke fittings
    Taking the Tito – 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Presidential Landaulet – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.1 million, €2.9 million or درهم11.4 million) through Tom Hartley Jnr. – Originally owned by Marshal Josip Tito, 1st President of Yugoslavia (1892 – 1980)
    Luxurious rear seating
    Taking the Tito – 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Presidential Landaulet – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.1 million, €2.9 million or درهم11.4 million) through Tom Hartley Jnr. – Originally owned by Marshal Josip Tito, 1st President of Yugoslavia (1892 – 1980)
    The glass partition between the passengers and the driver
    Taking the Tito – 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Presidential Landaulet – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.1 million, €2.9 million or درهم11.4 million) through Tom Hartley Jnr. – Originally owned by Marshal Josip Tito, 1st President of Yugoslavia (1892 – 1980)
    The driver’s seating
    Taking the Tito – 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Presidential Landaulet – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.1 million, €2.9 million or درهم11.4 million) through Tom Hartley Jnr. – Originally owned by Marshal Josip Tito, 1st President of Yugoslavia (1892 – 1980)
    And hood down
    Taking the Tito – 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Presidential Landaulet – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.1 million, €2.9 million or درهم11.4 million) through Tom Hartley Jnr. – Originally owned by Marshal Josip Tito, 1st President of Yugoslavia (1892 – 1980)
    Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with Tito in 1972

  • Living Eyre

    Living Eyre

    “Gentleman’s manor house” that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Thornfield Hall in ‘Jane Eyre’ available to rent for just £14,400 per year; alternatively you could take a tiny studio in SW3 for the same sum

     

    Described by Charlotte Brontë (1775 – 1817) as being “three storeys high; a gentleman’s manor house; battlements round the top gave it a picturesque look” in Jane Eyre, Thornfield Hall was where Jane Eyre became a governess and where she fell for Mr Rochester. The 16th century building that is said to have been Brontë’s primary inspiration, North Lees Hall, is now available to rent and is offered for the same sum as a poky 179 square foot studio in Chelsea Cloisters in London, SW3.

     

    Living Eyre – North Lees Hall, Birley Lane, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BR, United Kingdom – £1,200 per month ($1,484, €1,402 or درهم5,453 per month) or alternatively take 154 Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, SW3 3DR for the same sum
    North Lees Hall, Birley Lane, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BR is owned by the Peak District National Park and available to let after the Vivat Trust, that managed it as a holiday rental from 1988, ceased trading in 2015
    Living Eyre – North Lees Hall, Birley Lane, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BR, United Kingdom – £1,200 per month ($1,484, €1,402 or درهم5,453 per month) or alternatively take 154 Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, SW3 3DR for the same sum
    A first floor studio – 154 Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, SW3 3DR – is available through JLL for the same sum but is hardly as imposing
    Living Eyre – North Lees Hall, Birley Lane, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BR, United Kingdom – £1,200 per month ($1,484, €1,402 or درهم5,453 per month) or alternatively take 154 Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, SW3 3DR for the same sum
    Ruth Wilson played Jane Eyre with Toby Stephens as Edward Rochester in the 2006 TV adaptation of Jane Eyre; part of the series was filmed at North Lees Hall

     

    Supposedly designed by Robert Smythson (1534 – 1614), the architect of Hardwick Hall, Grade II* listed North Lees Hall features a tower and turrets and comprises of 2 reception rooms, 3 double bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It also has a large breakfast kitchen and basement but the panoramic views from the castellated roof terrace are what will most likely impress potential tenants.

     

    North Lees Hall is available through Saxton Mee for £1,200 per month ($1,484, €1,402 or درهم5,453 per month). Tenders to rent it on a furnished basis for a minimum of twelve months must be submitted by Friday 28th April.

     

    Living Eyre – North Lees Hall, Birley Lane, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BR, United Kingdom – £1,200 per month ($1,484, €1,402 or درهم5,453 per month) or alternatively take 154 Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, SW3 3DR for the same sumLiving Eyre – North Lees Hall, Birley Lane, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BR, United Kingdom – £1,200 per month ($1,484, €1,402 or درهم5,453 per month) or alternatively take 154 Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, SW3 3DR for the same sum Living Eyre – North Lees Hall, Birley Lane, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BR, United Kingdom – £1,200 per month ($1,484, €1,402 or درهم5,453 per month) or alternatively take 154 Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, SW3 3DR for the same sumLiving Eyre – North Lees Hall, Birley Lane, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BR, United Kingdom – £1,200 per month ($1,484, €1,402 or درهم5,453 per month) or alternatively take 154 Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, SW3 3DR for the same sumLiving Eyre – North Lees Hall, Birley Lane, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BR, United Kingdom – £1,200 per month ($1,484, €1,402 or درهم5,453 per month) or alternatively take 154 Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, SW3 3DR for the same sum Living Eyre – North Lees Hall, Birley Lane, Hathersage, Derbyshire, S32 1BR, United Kingdom – £1,200 per month ($1,484, €1,402 or درهم5,453 per month) or alternatively take 154 Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, SW3 3DR for the same sum

  • Overheard – 8th April

    Overheard – 8th April

    Clangers overheard and snippets spotted by readers of ‘The Steeple Times’

     

    Candy Knockers

    At Scalini in Knightsbridge, two brash housebuilders from Essex sat devouring veal chops. One referenced his idols and observed: “The Candy brothers have a brilliant setup. They are like the Peter Stringfellows of property”. The other looked puzzled but the first continued: “They’ve got properties that sell as well as Katie Price’s knockers. What assets! Value for money? I don’t know. But, impressive? Hell yeah!” Try telling that to Mark Holyoake.

     

    You’ve Got That Sinking Feeling

    The same duo moved on to talking about their respective staff. The louder of the two offered his thoughts: “I’m so proud of Ray. He’s like the Titanic. He’s like the best ship in the world. Not because it sank but because it was the best ship in the world”. The other opined: “It still f**king sank and Ray will still f**king sink too”. All that was needed next was for My Heart Will Go On to play.

     

    Housing the Godly

    Two priests were spotted drinking Bloody Marys at the bar at PJ’s on Fulham Road. The first remarked: “I never quite manage to get given houses”. The second answered: “Shocking, isn’t it? I look through Country Life each week and I think: ‘All I get given each week is Communion wine’”.

     

    Partying with a 4×4

    A group of ladies gathered in the garden at Chiltern Firehouse after a hard day’s shopping in Selfridges. As they discussed an impending party an absent ‘friend’ was due to host, one Pucci clad creature shared her thoughts. She commented: “It’s not a party. They’re telling porkie pies. They’re just having it to show off that new Range Rover they’ve just bought. I bet they’ll block the bloody drive with it”. Miaow!

     

    An Iggy Hangover

    “My worst hangover was when I drank three bottles of champagne” remarked a passenger on the 14 bus. “Why?” asked her friend. “Because I had to take three days off work and because I thought I was Iggy Pop for two of them”.

     

    Submit comments you hear to [email protected]. We publish amusing and ridiculous chatter we receive and sometimes we change names and locations to protect the identities of the vain and the vacuous.

     

  • Billionaire Battersea

    Billionaire Battersea

    Historic Battersea mansion for sale for the same sum it was marketed for in 2011; it has been mostly empty throughout the intervening period and was renovated by the late billionaire Malcolm Forbes

    Billionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes was a man who liked to live large. He had a huge yacht named The Highlander, threw lavish parties across the globe and counted Gianni Agnelli, Gordon Getty, Calvin Klein, Robert Maxwell, Rupert Murdoch, Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump as friends. This “mysterious collector” also owned numerous residences and one of these, Old Battersea House in London, is for sale for the same sum as it was marketed for in 2011.

     

    Often seen with Elizabeth Taylor at his side and described as “living life in the fabulous”, Forbes purchased Old Battersea House in 1971. It had previously been home to and saved from demolition by Battersea Council by the eccentric author and ghost hunter Wilhemina Stirling. She took up a lifetime tenancy on the building in 1931 and used it to house artworks by her sister, Evelyn de Morgan (1855 – 1919).

     

    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Businessman and publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990) with seven times married actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor DBE (1932 – 2011) at his lavish 70th birthday party at the Palais Mendoub, Tangier, Morocco in 1989
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) owned the house prior to Malcolm Forbes
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Christopher ‘Kip’ Forbes (born 1951) assisted his father restore Old Battersea House and later oversaw the family selling its art collection in 2003 and 2009

     

    Grade II* listed since 1954 and adapted during Forbes and subsequently his son Kip’s ownership to showcase a vast collection of Victorian art and antiques, Old Battersea House was built on Tudor foundations in 1699 and was at first known as ‘Terrace House’. It originally had gardens extending down to the River Thames and is rumoured to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren (1632 – 1723).

     

    Featuring “handsome classical proportions throughout” and standing within a 110-foot wide walled garden, the 10,100 square foot house includes 4 reception rooms, 10 double bedrooms and 7 bathrooms. It has off-street parking and a garden store but it is sadly overlooked by the adjoining housing estate that was built in its grounds in the 1930s.

     

    Savills seek £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) for Old Battersea House.

     

    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    The impressive hallway of Old Battersea House
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Another entertaining space
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Elizabeth Taylor and her then husband Larry Fortensky at Old Battersea House in 1992
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Images of the house as it was furnished during the ownership of the Forbes family

  • Dining without Toto

    Dining without Toto

    Former Toto’s site in Lennox Gardens Mews, Knightsbridge to become a “contemporary Japanese” restaurant named Dinings

     

    In April 2014, just off Walton Street in Knightsbridge’s Lennox Gardens Mews, Toto’s prepared to reopen after a £3 million makeover at the behest of a new Indian owner. In spite of serving the most delicious Italian food, its slightly off-piste location proved difficult and it again closed in early 2016. Now, after remaining empty for some time, this former artist’s studio is set to become a “contemporary Japanese restaurant”.

     

    First mentioned by the lifestyle app Urbanologie earlier this week, Dinings, the Japanese tapas and sushi restaurant that has taken the site, already has an outpost in Marylebone and describes its offering as “a new style of Izakaya; Japanese tapas which combines traditional Japanese with modern European cuisine”.

     

    The restaurant is due to open on 16th May and will feature two dining bars and a ten cover sushi counter. Its interior has been designed by David d’Almada of Sagrada – a man whose previous commissions include The Arts Club on Dover Street and Sartoria on Savile Row – and, in spite of many recent closures in the area due to soaring rates and rents, we wish the new operators all the best in their venture.

     

    Image depicts the restaurant and garden as it was in 2014.

     

  • Mugged by Mrs May

    Mugged by Mrs May

    Updated: Theresa May forges a new career in post-Brexit Britain: Flogging tea towels and mugs

     

    Theresa May, a woman who should be busy sorting out the mess that is her “red, white and blue Brexit”, is in Saudi Arabia insulting the locals and refusing to wear a headscarf. She’s also been meddling in the affairs of the National Trust, moaning about Easter eggs and on Tuesday night an email pinged into our inbox from her “nattering” registered treasurer and director general of the Conservative Party, Alan Mabbutt.

     

    Mugged by Mrs May – Theresa May forges a new career in post-Brexit Britain: Flogging tea towels and mugs
    Update, 6th April, 4pm: A reader submitted an edited version of the mug; it portrays Mrs May’s plan a little more accurately

     

    In it, hapless Mr Mabbutt – a man once forced to apologise for sending dodgy emails – emphasised he has an OBE and asked: “My ‘Plan For Britain’ mug and tea towel have just arrived, have you ordered yours yet?” He then shamelessly urged supporters to donate £35 to get these limited edition items also and ridiculously claimed “supplies are running low”.

     

    Just as Lloyds of London plans to relocate much of their operations to Brussels and Bentley talk of escaping tariffs by moving to mainland Europe, plainly Mabbutt and May think tea towels and coffee cups are our future. God help once Great Britain.

     

    Mugged by Mrs May – Theresa May forges a new career in post-Brexit Britain: Flogging tea towels and mugsMugged by Mrs May – Theresa May forges a new career in post-Brexit Britain: Flogging tea towels and mugs