Last month I visited a house I’d heard much about over the years in the company of Ed Burrows, the personable managing director of Barnsdale Lodge in Rutland. That house, located a few minutes from the hotel that Burrows so ably runs, was Burley-on-the-Hill House.
Asil NadirBurley-on-the-Hill House
Now converted into apartments, this mansion was built in the 1690s to designs supervised by Sir Christopher Wren and was sold to Polly Peck tycoon Asil Nadir in 1991 for £7 million. Nadir planned to turn Burley-on-the-Hill into a luxury hotel and conference centre with two golf courses but this failed to come to fruition when his Polly Peck empire collapsed following a Serious Fraud Investigation. In 1993, he breached the terms of his bail and fled to Northern Cyprus and as a result Burley-on-the-Hill was sold to the property developer Kit Martin.
Sick of being a fugitive, Nadir took the gamble of returning to Britain to finally face a trial in July 2010 but this has indeed been his very own nadir. Plainly believing that most documents had faded and his alleged theft of £150 million from the empire had been forgotten, this twice married Turkish Cypriot former business mogul was yesterday convicted on three charges of theft totaling £5.5 million. Aged 71, he now faces a lengthy jail sentence.
At the end of the day, Asil Nadir, the man who had it all, had nothing.
Sarah Tucker gives an update on goings on at the resort where Madeleine McCann vanished
Four hundred and thirty euros, one bedroom apartment, one week at the height of season at a luxury family resort in Portugal. And oh yes, it’s the Ocean Club at Praia da Luz. There’s availability with two and three bedroom apartments as well. I asked about apartment 5a where Madeleine disappeared but the PR is coming back to me on that one. That was four days ago.
The Ocean Club entrance and Apartment 5A at the top of the street
I checked this out because having looked at the comments on The Steeple Times McCann roll call entry, I wanted to know what became of the resort where she disappeared. Last year the lady who owned the property itself couldn’t sell it because women buyers were put off by it’s history. I don’t blame them. I would never recommend buying from a divorcing couple, no matter how good the deal, so buying somewhere where a child has been allegedly kidnapped is a no no. Estate agents will say nonsense, but that’s a woman’s superstition for you. Or a mother’s superstition.
I remember writing at the time about Mark Warner, a company synonymous with a reputation for keeping parents who treated parenting as a subject to be studied to A*, not as something to leave to instinct, God forbid. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but having recently vox popped over 500 parents* asking if they would leave their children in their hotel room unsupervised while they ate in a restaurant on site, none of them, not one, said they would do so. I never mentioned the McCann case. The question about childcare was mixed in with other family travel related stuff, but some even mentioned the McCann’s case when they responded. And all claimed they would take advantage of a babysitting service if it was offered or eat earlier and with the kids if it wasn’t.
I was asked at the time if I would ever leave my son alone. I never have. Too risky and having lost him for ten minutes in the salubrious area that is East Sheen high street at five in the afternoon five years ago, because I refused to wait for him to tie up his shoe lace for the nth time, and getting no less than eighteen other men and women, all who had been either waiting for buses, serving or being served in shops, or in several cases drinking in the local pub, to run up and down, shouting his name, I understand the McCann’s need to go to the end of the earth, the prime minister, the Pope, to find their daughter. I completely understand this. What I never understood was their emotional reaction or rather lack of it. In the meantime babysitting services are still offered at the Ocean Club.
* Using social media (parents of three to six year olds).
Matthew Steeples gives his view on Julian Assange’s having been granted asylum by Ecuador
I spent much of the day yesterday watching the Occupy News Network live video stream from outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
For those who don’t know it, the Occupy News Network is the news source of the Occupy protestors who began “occupying” parks, financial districts and public squares throughout the world from 15th October 2011. With an aim of keeping their audience “abreast of developments in the global revolution,” the channel focuses on “expos[ing] police brutality and abuse of the law.” I was fascinated, amused and equally horrified by what I saw and I quickly became engrossed.
Police and protestors outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, 3 Hans Crescent, London, SW1X 0LS
With a man named Pedro both behind the camera and conducting interviews, viewers of the live stream were exposed to the thoughts of the Assange fanatics stood outside the building in Knightsbridge where he is holed up. Here, in the lead up to the statement that Julian Assange would be granted asylum by Ecuador, the audience heard interviews with supporters, police and bystanders. Most, to be honest, talked utter junk and illustrated the paranoia and stupidity of their positions.
The first I saw compared the prospect of police storming the embassy to the “invasion of Iraq” before laughing as he announced that hackers had crashed the Met Police website. “We should give them [the hackers] an Olympic medal,” he added.
The next, a young girl of no more than 20, described my least favourite politician, Theresa May, as “The Witch of Downing Street” and then announced that the police “like to scare young girls… They like to give you a good shove.” A smartly dressed American man spoke of his Orwellian terror when he stated:
“I worry about my visa status. I am afraid of what might happen to me in both Britain and the USA. I might lose my job for being here. We’re starting to become worse than Russia.”
The first moment of amusement came when a pizza delivery man arrived. He was filmed being turned away by the police at the door of the embassy. Subsequently, he came on camera and was asked who the pizza had been meant for. “Someone called Julian,” he answered. “Don’t you know who he is?” Pedro asked. “No,” he answered in bemusement before wandering off. Taxis and another pizza delivery for “Julian” followed and all these innocent workers left rightly angry at the prank that one of the protestors was trying to use as a way to aggravate the police. The police showed sense and correctly did not react.
The next arrived when Pedro decided to interview a pair of bystanders from Yorkshire. He asked: “Is that near the sea?” before seeking their view on Mr Assange’s “plight.” They answered simply: “Who is he? Sounds like a load of old nonsense to us.” They didn’t have a clue who the Wikileaks founder even was and plainly had no interest in his case.
Masked protestors unveiled
Commentary continued in the same vein and as the police repeatedly asked the film crew to step away from the highway they were obstructing, several arrests occurred. These and the police’s refusal to engage with them set a rather loud Brummie woman off into a gargantuan rant where she announced: “We should throw rocks at them when they [the police] storm the embassy.” Others, mostly masked, described President Obama and even their formerly beloved Guardian as “terrorists.” Assange, himself, was termed a “radical Ron Paul.” If these people are representative of Assange’s supporters, the likes of Sarah Saunders, Vaughn Smith and Jemima Khan would do well to distance themselves from him and this ragbag of nutjobs.
I pass the Ecuadorian Embassy several times each week and during Assange’s occupation, on many days there have been more police than supporters present. Sometimes there wasn’t even one person outside. This was indicative of the lack of support, but yesterday, on an occasion when a major announcement about their flawed superhero was due, the Occupy News Network were reduced to desperately stating:
“We need more numbers here. We really need some more people down here. We’re in Knightsbridge. We’re just near the Harrods tube exit. If you are in London, come now. We need you now.”
As the 1pm announcement approached, from what I observed, there were still more police and bystanders than supporters present.
When the announcement came that asylum had indeed been granted, I decided enough was enough and turned the Occupy News Network off. I later listened to William Hague’s wise statement about the situation and found myself in total agreement:
“We will not allow Mr Assange safe passage out of the UK… We must carry out our obligation to extradite him to Sweden… This asylum is groundless as he is avoiding the legal processes of Sweden and Britain… This is is not about Wikileaks of the United States of America.”
Frankly, Julian Assange belongs in the asylum rather than being deserving of being granted such. Assange breached his bail and is, under Section 7 of the Bail Act 1976, eligible for arrest for that if nothing else. If he is subsequently sent to Sweden and charged, he should let justice take its course. He ought to realise that his innocence or guilt will be decided by the courts of a perfectly civilised liberal nation and that he has as fair a chance as the next man.
Mr Assange: you’ve made your point and you are not, as one of your supporters suggested, a “freedom fighter.” You are, instead, just a blabbing bail jumper who stands accused of rape. You have cost British taxpayers and your very own supporters hundreds of thousands of pounds and Ecuador will lose their standing in the world by harbouring you. To be totally honest, though, you should realise that the majority of us are bored of you and your “I’m above the law” attitude.
Please, Mr Assange, end this tedious charade, do the decent thing, proudly walk out of the front door of the Ecuadorian Embassy and hand yourself in. If you truly are an innocent man, we’ll all respect you a hell of a lot more.
The Steeple Times asks private aviation entrepreneur Tom McLoughlin: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
7th January 2013: When we published this interview on 16th August 2012, we were unaware of the real identity of Thomas McLoughlin. He told us he was an ambassador for American Express and all manner of other tales. Our readers responded in their droves and he has now been identified for what he truly is. His answers will remain here as illustration of his persona. The man is an obnoxious fake. If you spot him, contact Chelsea police station as they are very interested in his activities.
Update 13th February 2013: Thomas McLoughlin pleaded guilty to two charges on 28th January 2013 and is due to appear again at Isleworth Crown Court on 11th March 2013. Readers may wish to attend to witness his departure. It’s almost certain they’ll be waving him on his merry way to a Serco prison truck rather than to a Learjet or a Mercedes AMG.
Update 12th April 2013: After having his sentencing delayed for health reasons, Mr McLoughlin is back in court again this morning. We await news with baited breath.
Update 17th May 2013: Mr McLoughlin’s sentencing has been delayed until 12th June whilst the courts await medical evidence.
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
My belief in God and my own God.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“Don’t get mad, get even.”
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?
Tony Blair trying to resurrect his political career.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
A golf course when I can’t get to one.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
To live out my life on a desert with a certain Italian actress.
Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank.” What’s your view on the banking crisis?
Everyone knows that the City has been full of crooks for years. Unfortunately most of them are American now.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“Actually.”
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
Children’s causes here and around the world. Adults can take care of themselves.
The judge in “Law Abiding Citizen” states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
I wish I could position my mobile phone to assassinate some political leaders in the world.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
All my ex-business enemies with one or two assassins. Several girlfriends would accompany. The ex-business enemies would be disposed of at the first stop.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
My last meal would be Welsh lamb at No. 11 Cadogan Gardens.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
Champagne at breakfast but nothing else before midday.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
A martini with Stelios. I leased him his first five jets for EasyJet in 1994 and then he didn’t need me anymore.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
The after-party at the New Year’s Day concert in Vienna that I go to annually.
Who is the most positive person you know?
My daughter, Alexandra, aged 14.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
A bottle of white Burgundy and a punt on Betfair.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
It would be a butterfly on the arse of a girlfriend.
If you were a car, what marquee would you be?
My car, a Mercedes CL63 AMG.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
As a private jet captain, I flew 3 plates of Nobu sushi to Baku, Azerbaijan. The sushi cost £2,000 and the flight £78,000.
The Steeple Times asks barrister James Dove: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
The Bar Code of Conduct. Only kidding. Don’t tell the Bar Standards Board.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“Live by the sword, die by the sword.”
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?
Eric Pickles.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
Boris Yeltsin, my cat.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
I don’t have any wealth.
Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank.” What’s your view on the banking crisis?
Shoot them all.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“Obviously.” If it is obvious, you don’t need to say so.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
Any charity that doesn’t hire chuggers is worthy of my support.
The judge in “Law Abiding Citizen” states: “I can pretty do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
Be discreet.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
Kant, Fichte, Hagel and Nietzsche. I am just trying to show off.
James Dove pictured with Cherie Blair
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
A Lebanese in Beirut and I hope I might escape.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
Six o’clock. I am not going to be drawn on morning or afternoon.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
A martini but any more than three and you might lose your trousers. I am not speaking from personal experience.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
Any that are held in a car park.
Who is the most positive person you know?
My senior clerk: he always thinks there is a cheque in the post despite evidence to the contrary.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Chocolate Philadelphia. At least I am sure it will be when I try it…
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
A toreador. I like to wind people up.
What was the first bone that you broke?
My left elbow. I fell off a skateboard. I haven’t been on one since.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I met Nelson Mandela in East London once. That is in South Africa – “obviously” (see above).
This blonde bombshell first appeared on the BBC aged 12 and since has presented shows including Channel 4’s Cook Yourself Thin. She’s also faced Anne Robinson on the Celebrity Weakest Link and written a number of cookbooks. A delight to spend time with, Michell has worked in places such as The Greenhouse and The Lanesborough and also as a private chef for a number of personalities. Here’s one to watch in the kitchen.
A visit to those supporting Julian Assange outside the Ecuadorean Embassy
Yesterday, as I walked to The Rib Room at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower with Alexandra Naylor, I came across a media camp opposite the Ecuadorean Embassy in Hans Crescent, Knightsbridge.
Ben Griffin and other Assange supporters
On the other side of the road, directly next to the embassy, were four protestors and as neither of us knew what they were doing there, we decided to engage them in conversation. It turned out that these perfectly polite, yet somewhat misguided individuals were there to support Julian Assange, who is supposedly holed up inside.
The Wikileaks founder, who faces accusations of sex assaults made by two Swedish women in August 2010, we were told, breached his bail conditions and arrived at the embassy on Tuesday evening. It is believed he has remained there since and Ben Griffin, one of his supporters, told us:
“Julian is at risk of assassination if he is extradited to America via Sweden. American politicians have publicly said they want him dead.”
The media scrum opposite the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, 3 Hans Crescent, London, SW1X 0LSA selection of placards supporting Assange
This, I’d suggest, is utter nonsense and further conversation with two Ecuadoreans revealed a similar misguided attitude to this case. Equally odd, I later learnt, is that Assange’s high-profile backers are now backtracking somewhat in their attitude to this cause célèbre. Jemima Khan, who provided £20,000 to Assange’s bail fund, commented:
“I expected him to face the allegations. I am as surprised as anyone by this.”
Mr Assange, a former computer hacker, should face justice just like anyone else. Sweden is a perfectly civilised country and if indeed he is innocent, he should stand and be counted. He should jolly well stop wasting police time and he should jolly well realise that he is not above the law.
This Mayfair based property tycoon was born in Tehran and owns a Mangusta motor yacht named “Veni Vidi Vici” (“I came, I saw, I conquered”). His Rolls-Royce Phantom, numberplate “2V,” is often spotted outside London’s finest establishments and an SFO investigation into his business affairs has now been sensibly put to bed.
This convicted rapist and burglar from St Albans won a £4.5 million National Lottery jackpot in 2009. He carried on claiming benefits until he was caught but now claims he’ll pay back what he owes. Put him in the stocks.
