The Steeple Times

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  • Invitation – An Evening With True Crime Legend Geoffrey Wansell

    Invitation – An Evening With True Crime Legend Geoffrey Wansell

    Matthew Steeples invites you to an evening with redoubtable author and broadcaster Geoffrey Wansell on 22nd April 2026

    Matthew Steeples of The Steeple Times

     

    invites you to

     

    an evening with redoubtable author and broadcaster Geoffrey Wansell

    Biographer of Cary Grant, Sir Terence Rattigan, Sir James Goldsmith and Fred West

     

    The Steeple Times – Interview and Dinner

     

    at PJ’s Chelsea Brasserie, 52 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6HH

     

    on Wednesday 22nd April 2026

    THE EVENING

    • Arrivals for Prosecco in a private setting on the first floor of PJ’s Chelsea Brasserie from 6.30pm.
    • Matthew Steeples in conversation with Geoffrey Wansell at 7pm prompt with audience questions to follow for 30 minutes. The format will be similar to our previous discussions with amongst others Britain’s best known crime correspondent Martin Brunt of Sky News, actor, writer and producer Steven Berkoff, filmmaker Amanda Eliasch, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York author Andrew Lownie and Manhunt and Crime Suspect host Peter Bleksley.
    • 3-course dinner with wine, with options for those with particular dietary requirements, to follow. Guests will have the opportunity to chat with Geoffrey Wansell and Matthew Steeples during the dinner.
    • After dinner, guests will be welcome to continue discussions downstairs at the legendary PJ’s bar for further cocktails and conversation.

     

    GEOFFREY WANSELL

    Geoffrey Wansell is an award winning journalist, author, podcaster and television documentary maker who has also done a bit of film and theatre here and there along the way. He started his career in Fleet Street in 1967 as a trainee and became a reporter and feature writer on The Times in 1970. He moved briefly to help start Britain’s first commercial radio station, LBC and then went to the Observer, The Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Mail, where he wrote long features for many years and still works as their Crime and Thriller reviewer.

     

    His first major book was a biography of the movie star Cary Grant in 1983, then he went on to do the tycoon Sir James Goldsmith and the playwright Sir Terence Rattigan before getting tempted into true crime with the offer of becoming the authorised biographer of Frederick West, the Gloucester serial killer. Geoffrey went on to write the biography of another multiple killer, Levi Bellfield, who killed schoolgirl Milly Dowler, and then a book about the 60 or so people sentenced to whole life terms of imprisonment, called Pure Evil.

     

    Those books led him into TV documentaries, and he has made more than 300 hours for a variety of broadcasters, including 200 episodes of Britain’s Most Evil Killer and the World’s Most Evil Killers for Sky, as well as 28 episodes of Murder by the Sea for CBS and now Amazon Prime, not to mention a series on Britain’s prisons for C5 and a standalone documentary on Denis Nilsen for Netflix.

     

    Geoffrey also managed to produce a feature film for 20th Century Fox from Michael Morpurgo’s When the Whales Came, back in 1988, and then do two theatre tours and four weeks in the West End between 2021 and 2024 with his old friend David Suchet in a show called Poirot and More.

     

    BOOKING

    Tickets are priced at £85 per person and include a glass of Prosecco on arrival and half a bottle of either red or white wine per person with dinner.

     

    To pay by bank transfer, please click the following link or make a transfer of £85 per ticket to the account listed below:

     

    https://monzo.com/pay/r/longreach-publishing-limi_zi8zwliwt0c9Cv

     

    Account name: Longreach Publishing Limited

    Bank: Monzo

    Sort code: 04-00-06

    Account number: 90607601

     

    Tickets can only be purchased in advance and guest names must be supplied for allocated place settings. The deadline for booking is 4pm on Tuesday 21st April 2026. Tickets are issued on a non-refundable basis.

     

    MENU

    The ticket price includes a glass of Prosecco on arrival, ½ a bottle of either red or white wine per person and a three course meal.

     

    STARTERS

    PRAWN TEMPURA soy and sesame sauce

    TUNA TARTARE avocado, chilli, lime, toasted sesame, soy sauce

    SCOTCH BEEF CARPACCIO wild rocket, parmesan, mustard dressing

    CRISPY FRIED ARTICHOKES caper and herb mayonnaise

    MAINS

    THE PJ’S BURGER 8oz patty, mature cheddar cheese, bacon, iceberg lettuce, pickle, smoked crackling mayonnaise, fries

    CHICKEN MILANESE wild rocket, artichoke and reggio cheese salad, toasted sesame, tahini honey dressing

    TUFFLE LINGUINE mushroom and truffle veloute, created truffle and parmesan

    MISO SALMON bok choi, lemongrass rice, jalapeño, and spring onion mayonnaise

    PUDDINGS

    CLASSIC CRÈME BRULEE

    BELGIAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

    VANILLA CHEESECAKE raspberry compote

    SELECTION OF SORBETS & ICE CREAMS three scoops

     

    Follow Geoffrey Wansell on Instagram at @geoffreywansell and @bloodtiespodcast; listen to the Blood Ties podcast on Spotify by clicking here.

     

    Follow Matthew Steeples on X at @M_Steeples and The Steeple Times at @SteepleTimes.

     

    Subscribe to our YouTube channel at @mjs2781.

     

    PREVIOUS DINNERS

  • Reader Event – Will the REAL William Shakespeare please stand up?

    Reader Event – Will the REAL William Shakespeare please stand up?

    ‘The Steeple Times’ invites you to a discussion dinner with ‘The Truth Will Out’ filmmaker Amanda Eliasch, filmmaker Cheryl Eagan-Donovan and actor Ron Destro on Thursday 23rd October 2025; the question proposed will be “Will the REAL William Shakespeare please stand up?”

    • Join Matthew Steeples of The Steeple Times on 23rd October for a conversation with Amanda Eliasch, director of the forthcoming feature documentary The Truth Will Out.
    • Also on the panel will be the filmmaker Cheryl Eagan-Donovan and Ron Destro, an actor and founding director of the Oxford Shakespeare Company.
    • A discussion and questions focused on “Will the REAL William Shakespeare please stand up?” shall be followed by a 3-course dinner at PJ’s Chelsea Brasserie, London, SW3.

    Matthew Steeples invites you to PJ’s Chelsea Brasserie in London for an evening where director, writer and producer Amanda Eliasch, filmmaker Cheryl Eagan-Donovan and actor and founding director of the Oxford Shakespeare Company, Ron Destro, will discuss two enduring myths crafted to serve political and cultural agendas: that of the virginity of Queen Elizabeth I and the true authorship of William Shakespeare’s works.

     

    Amanda Eliasch is an English artist whose career has spanned photography, poetry, film and theatre. She champions the theory that Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford authored Shakespeare’s works and explores such in her forthcoming documentary film The Truth Will Out. Eliasch’s fellow panellists for this event, themselves both respected experts in this field, Cheryl Eagan-Donovan and Ron Destro, will join her to discuss the ‘elephant in the room’ that has intrigued many for so long; did William Shakespeare actually pen the plays attributed to him or was the real writer hiding under the radar?

     

    On 23rd October at PJ’s Chelsea Brasserie – following on from evenings with amongst others Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York author Andrew Lownie and Manhunt and Crime Suspect host Peter Bleksley – guests will get to enjoy a delicious 3-course dinner after 45-minutes of conversation and questions about the enigma best known as the ‘Bard of Avon’. The £75 per person ticket price includes a glass of Prosecco on arrival and half a bottle of either red or white wine per person also.

    Amanda Eliasch with Peter Bleksley at ‘The Steeple Times’ discussion dinner with Peter Bleksley in November 2024; Matthew Steeples.
    Amanda Eliasch with Peter Bleksley at ‘The Steeple Times’ discussion dinner with Peter Bleksley in November 2024; Matthew Steeples.
    Cheryl Eagan-Donovan and Ron Destro.
    Cheryl Eagan-Donovan and Ron Destro.

    To book your tickets…

    TIMINGS

    • The event will be held on Thursday 23rd October 2025.
    • Arrivals for Prosecco in a private setting on the first floor of PJ’s from 6.30pm.
    • Matthew Steeples in conversation with Amanda Eliasch, Cheryl Eagan-Donovan and Ron Destro at 7pm prompt with audience questions to follow for 45 minutes.
    • 3-course dinner, with options for those with particular dietary requirements, with wine to follow.
    • After dinner, guests will be welcome to continue discussions downstairs at the legendary PJ’s bar for further cocktails and conversation.

     

    ADDRESS

    • The event is to be held at PJ’s Chelsea Brasserie, 52 Fulham Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 6HH.
    • The nearest London Underground station is South Kensington (District, Circle and Piccadilly lines); it is located just 5 minutes away on foot.
    • The event is to be held on the first floor of the building; access is by staircase only.

     

    PAYMENT FOR TICKETS AND BOOKING QUERIES

    Deadline for booking – Wednesday 22nd October 2025 at 6pm; tickets can only be purchased in advance and guest names must be supplied for allocated place settings.

    Tickets can be purchased at a rate of £75 per person. Please make payment by bank transfer to:

    • Bank: Barclays Bank
    • Account Name: Longreach Publishing Limited
    • Sort Code: 20-90-74
    • Account Number: 63608697
    • IBAN: GB13BUKB20907463608697
    • SWIFTBIC: BUKB
    • Please reference payments “SHAKESPEARE” and include your surname also to aid our record keeper.

    Should you have any queries of questions, please contact Jane Monckton at [email protected]

     

    SET MENU – 3 course dinner, Thursday 23rd October 2025

    The ticket price includes a glass of Prosecco on arrival, ½ a bottle of either red or white wine per person and a choice of one of each of the following:

    STARTERS

    SEARED TUNA wasabi & avocado purée, toasted sesame seeds, yuzu and soy dressing

    SCOTCH BEEF CARPACCIO wild rocket, parmesan, mustard dressing

    BURRATINA shaved truffle, baby plum tomatoes, rocket, toasted focaccia

    CRISPY FRIED ARTICHOKES caper and herb mayonnaise

    MAINS

    THE PJ’S BURGER 8oz patty, mature cheddar cheese, bacon, iceberg lettuce, pickle, smoked crackling mayonnaise, fries

    CHICKEN MILANESE wild rocket, artichoke & Reggio cheese salad, toasted sesame, tahini honey dressing

    GRILLED SEABASS FILLET French beans, cherry tomatoes, black olives & pesto

    ROAST CAULIFLOWER STEAK chickpeas and roasted red pepper, chipotle hummus, chimichurri

    PUDDINGS

    CLASSIC CRÈME BRULEE

    BELGIAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

    CHOCOLATE & VANILLA CHEESECAKE white chocolate sauce, mixed berry compote

    SELECTION OF SORBETS & ICE CREAMS three scoops

  • Who Is Gatsby Randolph?

    Who Is Gatsby Randolph?

    Matthew Steeples previews ‘Who Is Gatsby Randolph?’ and finds it not only refreshingly raucous, but also proof that anyone can achieve their dream

    In England, we have party crashers like David Pun – a bow tie wearing blaggart who pretends to own Harvey Nichols, but actually lives in a bus shelter in Hammersmith. Freakish toerags like him and the bigoted berk Marie-Claire, Baroness von Alvensleben pollute events, hoovering up canapés and nabbing gift bags with audacity and awfulness, but in Hollywood there’s a marvelous man who has got the art of getting into the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party down to a fine art.

     

    David Pun and Marie-Claire, Baroness von Alvensleben
    London’s leading liggers, amongst them bow tie wearing David Pun (right) and convicted racist Marie-Claire, ‘Baroness’ von Alvensleben (left, with disgraced ‘entertainer’ Michael Barrymore), flash business cards lacking class, style and elegance, but still somehow get their wicked way into society bashes. How they get away with it remains a mystery and though there have been proposals to make documentaries about their antics, these have yet to reach the viewing public.
    Alexa Jago
    English actress turned award winning producer Alexa Jago, however, has managed to bring the remarkable yet totally true story of a humble boy from Memphis, Tennessee who sought out and achieved his dream of getting to the top in Tinseltown to the big screen.
    Oscar and Dom Perignon
    With a (borrowed but real) Oscar and a bottle of Dom Perignon (or five), this bio-documentary of an aspiring music producer turned tastemaker illustrates the power of Instagram. In it, the star claims “social media is archival footage” and through weaving his posts into a cohesive story, Gatsby Randolph becomes a genuine and welcomed personality.
    https://vimeo.com/423678137

    A ‘mockumentary’ in style and deservedly lauded as “Borat meets Entourage,” Who Is Gatsby Randolph? tells the story of Memphis, Tennessee born Kobie Randolph’s transition as he seeks out fame and fortune in Tinseltown. Rather like in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel from which he takes his adopted moniker, “people were not invited – they went there” is the premise of our suave, cigar chomping protagonist.

     

    Produced by talented English theatre and film actress turned award winning producer Alexa Jago – best known for having worked alongside amongst others Kevin Costner and for having been part of the team behind the 2015 hit Kajaki (AKA Kilo Two Bravo) – and due for theatrical release in the coming months, here is a film about a young man’s rise from poverty to the pinnacle of power and privilege living in a mansion in the Hollywood Hills.

     

    With 101,000 followers on Instagram currently, but ironically without 101 Dalmatians, in what has been described as “a poignant wild ride through red carpets with unlimited access to all the glitz and glamour,” this bio-documentary examines not only success, but also struggle.

     

    Reinvention is key to Kobie Randolph’s transition into his alter-ego ‘Gatsby’ and of his journey, the star recently told FilmInk: “As a filmmaker, I recognised that my own story of rags to riches was, in fact, a movie in the making.” He most certainly has achieved that and Who Is Gatsby Randolph? most definitely looks set to be one of the hits of 2022.

     

    Pictured top – Kobie Randolph, a man described by British actor Hainsley Lloyd Bennett as making him “feel like I could take over Hollywood.” Of him, the ‘Pennyworth’ star recently remarked: “His electric spirit jumps through the screen… He projected that he was somebody, so everyone treated him like he was and that was irrespective of his race, his age and his looks.”

     

    Anna Wintour
    Here (pictured with Anna Wintour) is a hustler who threw convention to the wind and got himself in front of Steven Spielberg even.
    Glenn Close and Emily Blunt
    This is an amusing and lighthearted tale that echoes F. Scott Fitzgerald’s character’s intrepid pursuit of the American dream. Its protagonist (pictured here with screen sirens Glenn Close and Emily Blunt) really did get into ‘Vanity Fair’s’ Oscar after-party not only once but four times.
    Angelina Jolie
    On his journey, Gatsby Randolph met everyone from Angelina Jolie (pictured) to Reese Witherspoon.
  • Missing Mate Ghislaine…

    Missing Mate Ghislaine…

    As her chirping crooner chum Christopher Mason parties in prison-orange pants with her other mates, ‘Grubby Ghislaine’ Maxwell languishes in a paper jump suit; look at who and what she’s missing out on in the Hamptons… For her, it’s Krug-less via a bit of “Orange Is The New Black”

    Christopher Mason used to like to chirp for Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein about seriously sordid sexual antics, he liked to sing songs for their decidedly deviant associate Donald Trump and last Saturday, he put in appearance at a party where many of the incarcerated one’s (former) friends were present. Ironically (or intentionally) for this super special occasion minus their mucky madam appendage, the author and crooner Mason wore ‘prison-orange’ pants and sported orange loafers.

     

    British-American transplant Mason, for once without one of his trademark and decidedly dodgy bow ties, perhaps channeled the “Orange Is The New Black pokey look” to remind fellow guests of the plight of their one-time chum, Ghislaine – after all she was stuck in a cell she’s claiming is sewage, rat and cockroach infested whilst they were all out in the Hamptons necking Krug and bingeing on caviar.

     

    Though social butterflies and famous faces have hurriedly distanced themselves from the ‘Bouncing Czech’s’ poison spawn, many associates and friends of Miss Maxwell (or Mrs Scott Borgerson, as she ought to really be known) were present at a gathering at the ‘Grosvenor Atterbury Estate’ at 199 Coopers Necks Lane in Southampton, New York on 12th June 2021.

     

    Owned currently by a “Manhattan real estate developer (DUMBO in Brooklyn) David Walentas,” according to the New York Social Diary’s David Patrick Columbia, the 6pm to 8pm bash at the ritzy residence was “designed” and hosted by a “major organizer [sic] of smart, chic, grand (and fun) parties” named Bronson van Wyck. Whether ‘Grubby Ghislaine’ was a conversational subject is unreported, but it’s pretty likely she was high on the agenda.

     

    Of the event for 100 “prominent” and “not-so-underprivileged” people, Mr Columbia instead peacocked:

     

    “The roadway along Coopers Neck was jammed with enthusiastic residents looking forward to a good time.”

     

    “And a good time was had by all. And then there was the huge excitement of everybody seeing everybody – many for the first time in months. It was a real reunion celebration. Even Brooke Shields who has been recovering from a terrible accident and surgeries, made it to the party, looking like the top of the morning and showing no sign of what she’d been through.”

     

    Individuals who’ve been snapped with Ghislaine Maxwell previously, aside from ‘Orange Pants’ Mason, at the “huge hit” evening numbered Tory Burch, Candace Bushnell, Tiffany Dubin and Martha Stewart. Whether Christopher Mason burst into song – as he’d done previously back in 1993 – about Jeffrey Epstein’s egg-shaped penis thankfully remains unknown.

     

    Pictured top: Christopher Mason in his prison visiting appropriate orange pants and loafers at the party (centre) and with his mucky mucker Ghislaine Maxwell previously (left); Ghislaine Maxwell on another occasion with another of last Saturday’s party guests, ‘Sex and the City’ author Candace Bushnell.

     

    Ghislaine Maxwell Martha Stewart
    Ex-jailbird Martha Stewart at the fat bash on Saturday with Peggy Siegal (left); Martha Stewart with Ghislaine Maxwell previously (right).
    Ghislaine Maxwell Christopher Mason
    Christopher Mason in decidedly conservative black tie in 2007 with Ghislaine Maxwell and Allegra Hicks, Amy Fine Collins and Freddy Leiba.
    Ghislaine Maxwell Tory Burch Tiffany Dubin
    Two former ‘photo-friends’ Ghislaine Maxwell didn’t get to hang out with at the ritzy party in Southampton on Saturday 12th June 2021 snapped with her previously, fashion designer Tory Burch (left) and Sotheby’s New York fashion vice president Tiffany Dubin (right).
    199 Coopers Neck Lane Southampton
    The scene of the 100-person bash organised by “Rolls-Royce of party planners” Bronson van Wyck lacking only Ghislaine Maxwell on 12th June 2021… 199 Coopers Neck Lane, Southampton, New York, NY 11968, USA is currently on sale for £25 million ($35 million, €29 million or درهم129 million) through Brown Harris Stevens. It features 14,619 square foot of accommodation, includes 11 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms and stands on a plot of 3 acres.

    Christopher Mason on Ghislaine Maxwell

    Her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein:

    “He was her boyfriend, but she was his Gal Friday.”

    Of what the mucky madam did for Epstein:

    “She leapt to the occasion when there was anything he needed she could provide. She hugely expanded Jeffrey’s social universe.”

    Of when she talked about Epstein:

    “[There was always] a flash of excitement in her eyes.”

    “She seemed utterly fascinated and thrilled with the life that he offered her and it seemed she would go to any length to satisfy his whims.”

    Christopher Mason’s cringeworthily crude ‘cappella’ for Jeffery Epstein’s 40th birthday (at the behest of Ghislaine Maxwell in January 1993)

    With the benefit of hindsight, Mason’s ‘song’ is decidedly sickening and sordid and frankly should join the archives with the ‘music’ of Rolf Harris and Gary Glitter. It shockingly talks of the later convicted and thankfully now croaked paedophile’s erections and goes as follows:

    Poor Jeffrey Epstein is 40, oy vey!

    Life must be tough, his hair is already so gray

    He sure looks older, but it’s clear from his smile

    The older he gets, the more juvenile

    Ghislaine is lavishing him with her affections

    She claims he has 24-hour erections

    Sounds like he’s busy, now ain’t that berserk

    How does he find the time to get off to work

    He wakes when the cock crows while everyone slumbers

    He rivals Einstein when crunching those numbers

    He taught at Dalton: The naughty boy blushes

    To think of schoolgirls and all of their crushes

    Christopher Mason subsequently wrote other poems for Jeffrey Epstein. In one he was described, according to the Daily Mail, as “’Silverado,’ as if he were a gray-haired cowboy… Urban cowboy desperado.”

    Classy or creepy? We leave that to you to decide.

    In 2008, Christopher Mason spoke to CBNC about the scandal that enveloped the husband of another party guest at 199 Coopers Neck Lane, Southampton last Saturday – Judy Taubman, the billionaire widow of the disgraced former Sotheby’s owner turned eventual jailbird (like Ghislaine Maxwell), A. Alfred Taubman (1924 – 2015). Mr Taubman appeared in the famous Maxwell-Epstein ‘black book,’ naturally.
    On a different note, in 2014, University of Cambridge educated Christopher Mason sang about Kim Kardashian’s arse. Ms. Kardashian was unsurprisingly not listed on the ‘New York Social Diary’ as amongst those present at last Saturday’s party in either their ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ lists even. We imagine she was glad.
    Euan Rellie Alan Dershowitz Ghislaine Maxwell tweet
    Also present at the gathering at the ‘Grosvenor Atterbury Estate’ gathering was financier Euan Rellie. In July 2020, he tweeted of Alan Dershowitz: “This guy @AlanDersh is protesting way too much” after the lawyer and former defender of amongst others Claus von Bülow leapt to the defence of the alleged paedophile procurer Ghislaine Maxwell in ‘The Spectator.’
  • Tatler Tells Fake Tales

    Tatler Tells Fake Tales

    ‘Tatler’ magazine called out for suggesting a Chelsea restaurant that closed down in August 2016 as a “hot spot” post ‘Lockdown 3.0’ ending in May 2021

    A “tattler” is an “observer or spectator… a gossip who tells tales,” whilst ‘THE’ Tatler is defined by the Oxford Learners’ Dictionary as “a British magazine, published once a month and containing articles about upper-class and upper-middle-class social events, fashion and the arts.”

     

    Given the Condé Nast lifestyle publication’s staff – amongst them previously the current editor of the Daily Mail, Geordie Greig, and the ex-editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, Tina Brown CBE – have variously included many Oxbridge alumni, one would assume they’d be a little better at fact checking than the notoriously sloppy seconds employed by the MailOnline (which is rated 1 out of 5 by the Microsoft Edge browser given its propensity to share fake news), but instead a recent edition of the monthly society bible featured a complete balls-up.

     

    In an article titled: “13 Chelsea restaurant stalwarts to head to when we can eat indoors too,” an unnamed contributor banged on about where its ritzy readers could head to post the end of ‘Lockdown 3.0’ and lauded one particular Sydney Street, SW3 restaurant as:

     

    “[Brasserie Gustave at 4 Sydney Street, London, SW3 6PP is] located at the exact point where South Ken meets Chelsea (and on a site that has seen more restaurants than Ramires has had yellow cards), this French bistro is a keeper. If the art-deco posters look a bit hackneyed, not to say banal, the food is anything but. It’s fresh and lively, classic French dishes prepared with punctilious attention to detail. Confit de canard is superb and you won’t find a better plate of kidneys in London. Great wines too, managed with gusto by experienced sommelier Richard Weiss.”

     

    Whilst of their thirteen selections, the loathed by Dan Wootton magazine prattled: “We’ve eaten our way around Chelsea’s top restaurants… We’ve got you covered,” a comment on OpenTable from as long ago 22nd August 2016 reads: “I made a reservation and got there and the restaurant was closed.” Plainly, anyone with half a brain would have realised five years ago that Brasserie Gustave turned out actually to be anything but “a keeper.”

     

    In the time since, Tatler’s editorial team also missed their very own one-time contributor Giles Coren’s visit to 4 Sydney Street on 15th July 2017. At that time, he lauded “pan-Asian” Zheng Chelsea as “the sort of places foodies go in quest of the new and wonderful.”

     

    Whatever next for the society go-to bible? An-inhouse position for our least favourite fake news PR peddler Ivy Holt? Next!

     

    Pictured top: 4 Sydney Street has been various restaurants over the years including Carpaccio, Sette, Marco Pierre White’s Sydney Street Grill, Brasserie Gustave and most recently Zheng Chelsea.

     

    Tatler Tells Fake Tales 2021 – Tatler lauds Chelsea restaurant Brasserie Gustave, 4 Sydney Street, SW3 which closed in August 2016 in May 2021 – ‘Tatler’ magazine called out for suggesting a Chelsea restaurant that closed down in 2016 as a “hot spot” post ‘Lockdown 3.0’ ending in 2021.
    The magazine’s May 2020 feature on Brasserie Gustave – a restaurant that closed in August 2016.
    Tatler Tells Fake Tales 2021 – Tatler lauds Chelsea restaurant Brasserie Gustave, 4 Sydney Street, SW3 which closed in August 2016 in May 2021 – ‘Tatler’ magazine called out for suggesting a Chelsea restaurant that closed down in 2016 as a “hot spot” post ‘Lockdown 3.0’ ending in 2021.
    In August 2016, an OpenTable user commented: “I made a reservation for [Brasserie Gustave] on Open Table and got there and the restaurant was closed.”
    Tatler Tells Fake Tales 2021 – Tatler lauds Chelsea restaurant Brasserie Gustave, 4 Sydney Street, SW3 which closed in August 2016 in May 2021 – ‘Tatler’ magazine called out for suggesting a Chelsea restaurant that closed down in 2016 as a “hot spot” post ‘Lockdown 3.0’ ending in 2021.
    The front elevation of Zheng Chelsea, 4 Sydney Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 6PP.
    Tatler Tells Fake Tales 2021 – Tatler lauds Chelsea restaurant Brasserie Gustave, 4 Sydney Street, SW3 which closed in August 2016 in May 2021 – ‘Tatler’ magazine called out for suggesting a Chelsea restaurant that closed down in 2016 as a “hot spot” post ‘Lockdown 3.0’ ending in 2021.
    The interior of the restaurant as it used to be during the era that Brasserie Gustave (left) occupied the site and as it has been since circa 2016 as “pan-Asian” Zheng Chelsea (right). Of food there, in July 2017, Giles Coren remarked: “Food this good and this unusual would normally never be found in Chelsea… Chelsea is not absolutely the last place in the entire world that I would go looking for brilliant authentic Malaysian cooking, but it comes close. What with the well-upholstered complacency of the locals, the lack of any significant oriental population, the high throughput of tourists and idle shoppers in need of plasticky chain food, the sky-high rents and concomitant historical lack of any decent restaurants here at all, Chelsea is perhaps the second last place in the known universe that I would go in expectation of fiery, original, challenging but entirely successful Straits Chinese cuisine.”
    Tatler Tells Fake Tales 2021 – Tatler lauds Chelsea restaurant Brasserie Gustave, 4 Sydney Street, SW3 which closed in August 2016 in May 2021 – ‘Tatler’ magazine called out for suggesting a Chelsea restaurant that closed down in 2016 as a “hot spot” post ‘Lockdown 3.0’ ending in 2021.
    The society go-to title was previously accused of a “swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations” in May 2020 by Kensington Palace after it published an article about one-time friend of its current editor, Richard Dennen (pictured together right), the Duchess of Cambridge titled “Catherine the Great.”

  • A Cottage For A Quid

    A Cottage For A Quid

    Crumbling stone-built seaside cottage in Welsh foodie destination and royal town of Caernarfon goes on sale for just £1

    The Royal Town of Caernarfon sits on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait in North Wales and as a result of its proximity to Snowdonia and history dating back to Roman times is a “major tourist centre,” according to Wikipedia. It has a marina, award winning arts centre, a maritime museum and numerous popular pubs, bars and restaurants.

     

    Situated down an alleyway behind the now shuttered Morris Bros Gors Bach Bakery shop at 72 Pool Street, a stone-built derelict cottage is currently being marketed by the Doorsteps online estate agency for the seemingly remarkable price of just £1.

     

    Though clearly in need of total renovation, the space offered is just a three minute walk from the seafront and directly adjoins the town’s revamped shopping district where the annual food festival attracts around 30,000 visitors each May.

     

    Of the property offered, the Mirror last week observed: “It now needs a total makeover to become a dream seaside cottage in the heart of the holiday town” and could instead be converted to a studio space even.

     

    In their very brief marketing literature, Doorsteps, however, add: “Terms and conditions apply,” but when contacted for comment were somewhat curiously not able to elaborate further.

     

    Bidding for the cottage to the rear of 72 Pool Street, Caernarfon is scheduled to commence online on 6th May 2021 at 12 noon and will conclude at 1pm on the same day. Interestingly, a bidding deposit of £500 is required to participate – some £499 or 49,900% more than the property’s guide price.

     

     

    A Cottage For A Quid – Cottage for sale in foodie destination Caernarfon – Crumbling stone-built seaside cottage in Welsh foodie destination and royal town of Caernarfon goes on sale for just £1 – Rear of 72 Pool Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AF, Wales, United Kingdom offered for sale by Doorsteps online estate agency.
    The interior of the cottage is nothing but an empty shack currently, but there is plenty of character that could be incorporated into its potential reuse as a home.
    A Cottage For A Quid – Cottage for sale in foodie destination Caernarfon – Crumbling stone-built seaside cottage in Welsh foodie destination and royal town of Caernarfon goes on sale for just £1 – Rear of 72 Pool Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AF, Wales, United Kingdom offered for sale by Doorsteps online estate agency.
    The space could be used as a holiday cottage, permanent residence or a studio even – subject to any necessary planning consents being granted.
    A Cottage For A Quid – Cottage for sale in foodie destination Caernarfon – Crumbling stone-built seaside cottage in Welsh foodie destination and royal town of Caernarfon goes on sale for just £1 – Rear of 72 Pool Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AF, Wales, United Kingdom offered for sale by Doorsteps online estate agency.
    The currently derelict cottage is behind an also currently derelict bakery that had been in business for over 50 years and accessed via a somewhat unappealing alleyway.
    A Cottage For A Quid – Cottage for sale in foodie destination Caernarfon – Crumbling stone-built seaside cottage in Welsh foodie destination and royal town of Caernarfon goes on sale for just £1 – Rear of 72 Pool Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AF, Wales, United Kingdom offered for sale by Doorsteps online estate agency.
    The annual Caernarfon Food Festival is not happening in 2021 due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, but it is normally a popular event and attended by around 30,000 people.
    A Cottage For A Quid – Cottage for sale in foodie destination Caernarfon – Crumbling stone-built seaside cottage in Welsh foodie destination and royal town of Caernarfon goes on sale for just £1 – Rear of 72 Pool Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AF, Wales, United Kingdom offered for sale by Doorsteps online estate agency.
    The festival occurs throughout the town and on the sea wall even.
    A Cottage For A Quid – Cottage for sale in foodie destination Caernarfon – Crumbling stone-built seaside cottage in Welsh foodie destination and royal town of Caernarfon goes on sale for just £1 – Rear of 72 Pool Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AF, Wales, United Kingdom offered for sale by Doorsteps online estate agency.
    Previously in February 2017, ‘The Steeple Times’ featured the sale of a far grander residence in Caernarfon, The Old Court House, at a price reduced from £650,000 to just £525,000. The building’s then owner, an English property developer named Aaron Hill, told ‘Wales Online’ he was selling after “vandals had smashed his windows 46 times, daubed graffiti across doors, attacked his car and urinated through his letterbox.” He told the paper “he had reported about 26 incidents to North Wales Police and remarked: ‘They said: ‘You need to f**k off where you belong. We don’t want you here. We’ll burn the place down.’” The building was subsequently converted into a bar, bistro, restaurant and event venue in 2018.
    A Cottage For A Quid – Cottage for sale in foodie destination Caernarfon – Crumbling stone-built seaside cottage in Welsh foodie destination and royal town of Caernarfon goes on sale for just £1 – Rear of 72 Pool Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AF, Wales, United Kingdom offered for sale by Doorsteps online estate agency.
    In June 2014, ‘The Steeple Times’ featured another property once sold for £1, the Grade I listed Palladian gem Barlaston Hall in Staffordshire. It was saved from near collapse in 1981 by former ‘Country Life’ editor Marcus Binney and sold on for £300,000in 1992 and offered for sale again in 2014 for £2.3 million after renovations were completed. After its asking price was reduced to £2 million, it subsequently sold for £2 million through agents Fisher German in April 2019.
    A Cottage For A Quid – Cottage for sale in foodie destination Caernarfon – Crumbling stone-built seaside cottage in Welsh foodie destination and royal town of Caernarfon goes on sale for just £1 – Rear of 72 Pool Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AF, Wales, United Kingdom offered for sale by Doorsteps online estate agency.
    In the very same article in June 2014 in ‘The Steeple Times,’ we also included another £1 property, Old Whitehall House in Chirnside, Berwickshire, Scotland. Derelict since 2007, this B-listed Georgian mansion required at least £1.2 million spent on its refurbishment, but came complete with an ornate music room decorated in Italian plasterwork and 7 bedrooms.
  • Elvis & Epstein’s ‘Dictator Car’

    Elvis & Epstein’s ‘Dictator Car’

    1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction

    ‘Taking Care of Business’ was said to be “Elvis Presley’s business motto and working philosophy.” Now, someone with deep pockets can buy the ‘King’s’ 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan emblazoned with ‘TCB’ on its side that is being auctioned for charity this December.

     

    Said to be one of over 200 cars that the Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock singer owned and mostly gave away as gifts, the short-wheelbase limousine was purchased by him on 14th December 1970 at Mercedes-Benz of Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard for $15,000 (or the equivalent of £75,300, $100,600, €82,900 or درهم369,500 today).

     

    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    Elvis and Priscilla Presley in the car.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    And pictured standing next to it.

    Presley reportedly used the 6.3-litre engine vehicle until the mid-1970s and then gave it to his vocalist friend Jimmy Velvet – who was later to become the operator of an Elvis memorabilia museum. Later sold on to the CEO of Dollar General and “refreshed” in the 1990s, a businessman turned philanthropist named Gene Epstein bought the ‘Dictator Car’ in 2002 after seeing it at the Amelia Island Concours.

     

    Finished in silver and featuring a black leather with dark grey carpets and ‘zebrawood accents’ interior, the automatic car has privacy curtains, separate front and rear heating and air conditioning controls and a refrigerated console between the front seats. It has covered 60,500 miles and is being promoted as being in need of a new owner “with a big enough personality to pull it off.”

     

    Of why he is selling the limousine – which comes with an array of Elvis Presley related memorabilia and paperwork – Gene Epstein (whom has no known connection to the late monster Jeffrey Epstein) commented:

     

    “We feel that after owning and enjoying ‘Elvis’ for nearly 20 years it is time to say goodbye for the better need. Especially since Covid has shut down just about every event that we have planned.”

     

    “Giving this car to our charity was a major decision that I’ve been advised against by my accountant who simply looks at the bottom line after taxes. I know that I exceed any tax benefit but how in the world can any of us enjoy life while seeing other people suffering?”

     

    “The lightning bolt on Elvis is TCB could very well have been on mine. There’s not enough time in the day to do the best for everybody every day but we have to keep trying.”

     

    “Elvis’s Mercedes is one hell of an automobile. And fun to drive… I hope it brings a world record price.”

     

    In September 2019, a 1966 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan The Steeple Times featured that had belonged to Nubar Gulbenkian sold for £310,900 ($415,000, €342,500 or درهم1.5 million). That car admittedly was undoubtedly a one-off in that its eccentric owner had changed the rear seats to a double bed and added a full glass roof, but by comparison the current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800) on the ex-Elvis ‘ride’ makes it seem cheap at a sum 48.4% lower.

     

    Bring A Trailer’s online auction for this It’s Now or Never of a limousine concludes on the 18th December.

     

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    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    The black leather to the rear passenger seating is original yet in good condition.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    There is some wear and tear to the front seating, however.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    The car is emblazoned with ‘TCB’ on its front doors and also comes with an example of Elvis Presley’s ‘TCB’ stationery and some shot glasses marked ‘TCB’ also.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    Amongst other memorabilia with the car are original documents, cuttings and an Elvis Presley bust.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    The original bill of sale from Mercedes-Benz of Hollywood.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    From the front.
    Elvis & Epstein’s Dictator Car – Ex-Elvis Presley Mercedes 600 to be sold – 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction –1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan, chassis number 10001212001321, originally owned by Elvis Presley and gifted to Jimmy Velvet in the mid-1970s – To be sold by Bring A Trailer on Friday 18th December 2020 at 7.05pm – Current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800).
    And from the rear.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=rYCxTiEdvoc&feature=emb_logo
    A video of the car to be offered.
    The car to be sold arriving at Gene Epstein’s 75th birthday party in July 2014.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex0XUS6ppas
    Another Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan owned by Elvis Presley was sold by Bonhams in December 2010 in the UK.
    Elvis Presley originally recorded ‘Long Black Limousine’ in January 1969.

  • Thinking 2022

    Thinking 2022

    Event promoter bizarrely gives up on the coming New Year and begins promoting an event to welcome in 2022 instead

    Whilst most of us are wishing 2020 would sink as fast as the Titanic, locked up Londoners surely would prefer to get through the coming New Year 2021 rather than already start worrying about New Year 2022.

     

    For a firm named The Mansion London, however, this is not the case and rather prematurely, they are promoting a bash to welcome 2022 which they curiously claim the Evening Standard has already described as “one of the spookiest and biggest events around.”

     

    Whilst associating New Year’s Eve with the spookiness of Halloween might itself seem a bit beyond wacky, the self-declared “best New Year’s Eve party in London” – for which tickets are priced from £24 for a “super early bird” to £150 per person for a “VIP table” seat – is being held not at some swanky West End joint, but instead in a “private venue” in the less salubrious Zone 2.

     

    The Mansion London declare of their 2021 out, 2022 in bash: “[The] address will be sent to official ticket holders 48 hours before the night” and insist on a white dress code as they claim to “love expressive party animals.”

     

    Going further, they then add: “An impressive clairvoyant will [also be on hand to] give free consultations all night so you [will] know exactly what to expect in 2022.” Given the financial crisis we face right before us now, said individual might by then have already missed the bus.

     

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    Thinking 2022 – Promoter The Mansion London ditches NYE 2021 and focuses on NYE 2022 – Event promoter bizarrely gives up on the coming New Year and begins promoting an event to welcome in 2022 instead.
    Thinking 2022 – The Mansion London are plainly as keen as everyone else to say good riddance to 2020 and hope for the best in 2021, but they’re certainly a bit beyond ambitious in asking people to plan ahead and buy tickets now to their event to welcome in 2022.
  • Chic Chicheley

    Chic Chicheley

    Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it

    Just as historically significant as the £10 million Lilford Hall in nearby Northamptonshire we featured in June, but in far better condition, a Grade I listed mansion in Buckinghamshire has just come to the market for £3 million less.

     

    Chicheley Hall, near Olney is being sold due to the activities there – a combination of a conference venue, hotel and a centre used by the Royal Society – being curtailed due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It is offered for the sum of £7 million – which seems a relative bargain given its current owners paid £6.5 million for it in 2007 and spent a further £12 million on its renovation subsequently.

     

    Constructed on the site of an earlier house destroyed in the Civil War in the 1720s to the designs of master builder Francis Smith, Chicheley Hall became the seat of Sir John Chester, the 4th baronet. It is of nine bays on three floors upon a raised basement and is described as an “exceedingly rare example” of English Baroque architecture.

     

    “For more than 100 years, architectural historians have waxed lyrical in the pages of Country Life of Chicheley Hall” remarked Penny Churchill when it was placed for sale in June 2007 and since 2009 it has been owned by the Royal Society.

     

    Having carried out a “major programme of repair and refurbishment to turn the hall into a high-quality venue for residential conferences,” the Society created a venue that provided 14 bedrooms suites in the main house, 34 en-suite bedrooms in two Grade II* listed former stable blocks, two lecture theatres, meeting rooms, sitting rooms, dining rooms and reception areas. There is parking for 50 vehicles and an apartment that was used by the centre’s director.

     

    Knight Frank market the 34,928 square foot freehold property as a whole or in three lots complete with 75 acres. They describe the mini-estate as including “beautiful formal gardens, a ‘3 sided’ lake, a walled garden, woodland walks, a Grade II* dovecote and farmland.”

     

    Chicheley Hall is situated 7 miles north east of Milton Keynes and is 50 miles from both central London and Oxford.

     

     

    The Names & Numbers – Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom

    September 2020 – For sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) through Knight Frank.

     

    June 2020 – De Vere Venues permanently closed Chicheley Hall as a conference venue and hotel due to the impact of coronavirus. In a statement to MKFM, the firm remarked: “Sadly the resulting devastating economic impact [of the pandemic] on the hospitality industry, together with heightened operational restrictions, has meant we have taken the difficult decision to close our doors permanently.”

     

    2007 – Sold to the Royal Society for £6.5 million ($8.5 million, €7.2 million or درهم31.1 million). They supposedly subsequently spent £12 million ($15.6 million, €13.3 million or درهم57.5 million) on renovations. These were in part funded by the Norwegian-American business and philanthropist Fred Kavli (1927 – 2013).

     

    June 2007 – Placed for sale for £9 million ($11.7 million, €10 million or درهم43.1 million) through Savills on behalf of Nicholas Beatty, the 3rd Earl (born 1946).

     

    2001 – Used as a stand-in for Bletchley Park in the feature film Enigma. The building has also been used in other productions including Pride and Prejudice, The Meaning of Life, The Red Violin and Black Beauty.

     

    1952 – Ownership by the Chester family ends when David Beatty, 2nd Earl Beatty (1905 – 1972), son of First World War naval hero Admiral David Beatty, bought the hall. Of his “major restoration programme,” Penny Churchill remarked: “Interior designer Felix Harbord, perhaps best known for his work at Luttrellstown Castle near Dublin, set out to recreate classic 18th-century interiors, using mainly light colours to accentuate the beauty of the mouldings and panelling. Very sensibly, the earl also added a bathroom to almost every bedroom.”

     

    1939 to 1945 – Chicheley Hall was used by the Special Operations Executive as its Special Training School No. 46, by Czechoslovaks for SOE parachute missions and as a FANY wireless telegraphy school. After the war, the hall was converted for use as a school.

     

    1720 to 1724 – Built by Sir John Chester, 4th baronet on the site of an earlier mansion to the designs of master-builder Francis Smith of Warwick. According to Country Life’s Penny Churchill, “a total of 955,550 bricks was used in the construction of the house, wings and garden, of which a staggering 85,000 were used for the garden walls.” She added: “For the next four years, Sir John himself paid the various master-craftsmen who worked on the interiors. The result was some of the finest woodcarving, joinery and plaster-work to be found in any English country house of that period. The elegant formal gardens were laid out by George London and Henry Wise, of Hampton Court and Melbourne Hall fame.”

     

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    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    The entrance hall of the house is impressive. English Heritage remark of it: “Entrance hall with Corinthian surround to front door and triple arched screen with marble columns leading to staircase, said to be designed by Flitcroft when working for Kent. Ceiling painting attributed to Kent.”
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    The ceiling painting is attributed to William Kent and depicts Herse and her sisters sacrificing to Flora.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    Continuing, there is an especially wide staircase beyond.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    One of many reception rooms.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    The dining room is dominated by wooden panelling.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    Another entertaining space.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    In its last use as a hotel and conference centre, a total of 48 bedroom suites were created within the property.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    This former coach house is currently configured as two large conference suites and a meeting room.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    One of two lecture theatres currently on-site.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    A conference room.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    Another view of the exterior of Chicheley Hall.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    Viewed from across the ‘three sided lake.’
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    An aerial shot of part of the 75-acre mini estate.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    And from another angle.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    Formal gardens.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    A plan of part of the Chicheley Hall site.
  • Pandemic Pun

    Pandemic Pun

    Prolific party pest David Pun spotted wandering in Waterloo having a coronavirus canapé crisis

    Spare a thought for David Pun, a deviant, degenerate door list dodger who has most certainly lost out more than most as a result of the coronavirus lockdown.

     

    When free-flowing champagne and crateloads of canapés are the epicentre of your world, the effects of the outbreak of a pandemic plainly were going to be life-changing. In his mind only “director of Harvey Nichols” and in reality, the best-known party crasher in London if not the world, Pun has – much to the delight of his Twitterati following – reemerged.

     

    Looking as disheveled as ever, an image of this washed-up wastrel was shared on social media by one Ben Springett. In the picture, normally ‘any party, anywhere’ Pun appeared next to a bus “looking forlorn whilst searching for a party in Waterloo” along with a swag bag he’d “liberated” from the London Art Fair and the hashtags #lockdown #bagfullofoldcanapes.

     

    Sadly for ‘The Pun,’ not one canapé was harmed in the making of this lockdown episode.

     

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    Pandemic Pun – Party crashing David Pun during COVID-19 lockdown – Prolific party pest David Pun spotted wandering in Waterloo having a coronavirus canapé crisis.
    Ben Springett is the only follower of the @wheresthepun Twitter account to have sighted David Pun thus far during the coronavirus lockdown.