“El Tel” is best known as a footballer manager but he’s a man of many talents. Few know that this national team manager of England (1994 to 1996) also co-authored four novels with Gordon Williams and was the co-creator of the ITV detective series Hazell. A Chelsea resident, he’s often to be found at Motcomb’s, the Rib Room Bar & Restaurant and Sette in Sydney Street.
Tag: England
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Terry Venables
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Nancy Wake AC GM (1912 – 2011)
Churchill’s most highly decorated special agent. A resistance heroine who lived at The Stafford Hotel from 2001 to 2003 and regaled visitors with tales of her time as the legendary “White Mouse.” Her tipple of choice, gin and tonics, flowed as freely as did the stories of her time interviewing Hitler in the 1930s and 500-mile missions on bicycles. -
The Rt. Hon. The Lord Archer
Jeffrey’s invented a lot of tales but is rightly renowned for spinning them brilliantly. This former politician wrote some brilliant diaries whilst in prison and now is mostly likely to be found doing charitable deeds. His shepherd’s pie and Krug parties are still the stuff of legends. -
Frankie's Set
A review of Sette, Sydney Street, SW3
An invitation to lunch with Pete Burrell is not one to miss. This Chelsea restaurateur is one of the best-connected men in town and along with Marilyn Fry, who has just become chairman of The Lady Taverners, I readily headed to Sydney Street’s newest restaurant, Sette Cucina Italiana.
Sette, 4 Sydney Street, London, SW3 6PP Burrell has recruited Umberto Scomparin from Ilia as maître d’ and on arrival we were immediately met by this most jolly of fellows. Scomparin has a knowledge of food and drink second to none and the lunch was perpetuated with his inputs of wit, wisdom and liveliness. The resulting atmosphere is part of what sets this bright and stylish restaurant apart from other local Italians.
Co-owned by Burrell and Frankie Dettori MBE, Sette takes its name from the Italian for “seven” in reference to the day when the champion jockey won all seven races at Ascot. Wall Street, Diffident, Mark of Esteem, Decorated Hero, Fatefully, Lochangel and Fujiyama Crest as well as Dettori himself all went down in the history of racing for this mighty achievement and it will forever be remembered by bookies for the vast sums they had to pay out.
Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori MBE (15th December 1970 – ) pictured outside his restaurant, Sette Dettori, on a rare day off from racing, joined us and we commenced with a selection of starters. Amongst them were veal in a tuna sauce (£9.50) that was just perfect and burrata with vegegtables and “cuore di bue (£10.50) that was one of the best I’d tried in an age. Grilled squid with sweet chilli and salad (£11) proved equally impressive with the party.
Accompanying conversation about the exploits of Michael Winner at a recent Lady Taveners lunch and tales of Dettori’s racing career, we enjoyed a Pinot Grigio Branko (£40) that was full-bodied and somewhat floral. As Scomparin was about to embark on serving the second bottle, an unexpected friend of Mr Burrell’s arrived: Terry Venables.
It was a great pleasure to expand the table to include Mr Venables and his compatriot and we all decided to share a grilled seabass (£25), calves liver with butter and sage (£18) and a linguine with lobster (£14). We all noted the fine quality of the ingredients and the generosity of the portions.
Terence Frederick “Terry” “El Tel” Venables (6th January 1943 – ) Not being an expert on football, it was a revelation to learn about how this former England manager has also had a career as a media pundit for Al Jazeera and was the co-author of ITV’s 1978 – 1979 Hazell detective drama series along with Gordon Williams. A good time was had by all.
Later, as Sette buzzed with customers aplenty, one guest managed to spill some red wine on another. In true Scomparin style, this host par excellence dashed round the corner to Ralph Lauren and collected a new white shirt. Hospitality is in the blood of all involved at Sette and nothing is too much trouble.
Darren Yates of Morecambe, Lancashire placed £67.58 in combining all seven of Dettori’s mounts in 1996. This impoverished plumber won £550,000 that afternoon and equally Dettori and Burrell’s Magnificent Seven looks set to deservedly prosper in Sydney Street.
Sette Cucina Italiana, 4 Sydney Street, London, SW3 6PP. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7352 3435. Website: http://www.sette-restaurant.com. Follow Sette on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/SetteRestaurant
For more information on The Lady Taverners, go to: http://www.lordstaverners.org
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Andrew Davis
He was labeled “Baron Von Essen” but evidence of his pedigree failed to surface. Starting in 1990, this buccaneer built up a collection of 26 luxury hotels but the £300m empire, developed with loans from bankers who plainly asked very few questions, collapsed in 2011. Since then, instead of quietly going to ground, he’s bought a Rolls-Royce from his friend Michael Winner and appeared at quite a few parties. Watch out: “The Talented Mr Davis” is plainly plotting his next move. -
Neil & Christine Hamilton
Eternally cheerful survivors. They’re amongst the few who’ve beaten both Max Clifford and speed cameras. No one ever guesses what they’ll do next. -
Katie Price (AKA Katie Hayler, Katie Reid, Katie Andre, Katie Infield and Jordan)
This glamour model is to be commended for having made a fortune. Her taste in men and cars however is utterly lacking. Her pink Range Rover is perhaps symbolic of all that is wrong about her. -
A fact isn’t a fact until you’ve checked it’s a fact
The case for the regulation of the UK’s property industry
Don’t get me wrong: I know many good estate agents. At the age of 15, I worked for an incredibly respectable firm based in Lancashire. My boss, a thoroughly charming individual, was one of my earliest influences and I still respect him enormously.
Equally, those who have completed the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ courses are people deserving of respect. They are individuals who are professional and knowledgeable. As their website states, over 18,000 follow them on Twitter and their expertise is second to none.
Before putting up a “to let” board, agents should check who really owns the property they are instructed on In recent days, however, after personally witnessing how one firm of agents have conducted themselves, my thoughts on the negativity that surrounds this “profession” has again been proven true. An apartment in a building I know in London has a most interesting tale. Owned by an old lady who died, it was sold on a short-lease by her executors. The subsequent owners bought this and supposedly then managed to persuade two banks to lend against fictitious longer leases on it. When, eventually, the banks repossessed, the flat remained empty for over a year but several months ago one of the individuals involved smashed down the door and effectively returned as a squatter.
The person concerned spent some time renovating the property before putting it up for rent through a local estate agent. Said agent plainly did no research into whether this person actually owned the apartment. They did not check the deeds or ask questions of their client. The reason for this, they’d argue, is that they are not required to but they were also too lazy to bother. That speaks volumes but because agents are not regulated, such conduct occurs more often than one can imagine. It should not be allowed to continue.
The River House, 435 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022. Well known residents of this block have included Nancy and Henry Kissinger and Susan and John Gutfreund. The building’s co-operative by-laws prevent it being named in real estate listings. If Prime Minister Cameron wants to boost his much dented popularity, he should act on this issue. Estate agents should be made, like in the USA, to qualify just as those working in financial services have to go through FSA authorisation. Purchasing or renting a home is something that consumes the majority of the income of any individual and such transactions should be better governed.
Equally, the owners of estates, such as Cadogan and Grosvenor, ought to become more selective about who they allow to take leases in their respective manors. In New York, many buildings operate by committee. The River House, designed by William Lawrence Bottomley, between 52nd and 53rd Street and the East River in New York, is a prime example of the power of co-op boards. The owners of apartments in this 26-storey landmark, built in 1931 and staffed by white gloved doormen, rejected Richard Nixon, Gloria Vanderbilt and Diane Keaton when they applied to live there. They rightly did their research on these personalities as they did not want to lower the tone of their residence or endure paparazzi intrusion. Similarly, here in London residents should be able to vote to stop noisy youngsters with more money than sense, criminals and so-called celebrities bringing havoc to the buildings where they reside.
A 14-room apartment currently available at The River House through Brown Harris Stevens at a price of $8,995,000 Regulating estate agents and residential buildings more effectively is a sure vote winner as most people I speak to tell of bad experiences. It is time the British government got to work.
For more information on the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, go to: http://www.rics.org
For more information on the apartment in The River House contact either Alexis Bodenheimer of Brown Harris Stevens on +1 212 906 9230 or email her at [email protected] or Cathy Franklin of the same company on +1 212 906 9236 or email her at [email protected], go to: http://www.bhsusa.com/manhattan/midtown-east/east-52nd-street/coop/1216446