A former supporter of Julian Assange denounces his behavior
Jemima Khan has shown great courage in turning on Julian Assange. In a feature in the New Statesman, she described him as being “more like an Australian L. Ron Hubbard” than the crusader he has portrayed himself. Suggesting Assange thinks himself like a real life Jason Bourne, she commented:
“It may well be that the serious allegations of sexual assault and rape are not substantiated in court, but I have come to the conclusion that these are all matters for Swedish due process and that Assange is undermining both himself and his own transparency agenda – as well as doing the US department of justice a favour – by making his refusal to answer questions in Sweden into a human rights issue.”
Jemima Khan
‘There have been three rounds in the UK courts and the UK courts have upheld the European Arrest Warrant in his name three times.”
“The women in question have human rights, too, and need resolution. Assange’s noble cause and his wish to avoid a US court does not trump their right to be heard in a Swedish court.”
“I don’t regret putting up bail money for Assange but I did it so that he would be released while awaiting trial, not so that he could avoid answering to the allegations.”
In a firm but fair article, Khan stated: “I remain convinced that if Assange is prosecuted for espionage the future of investigative journalism everywhere would be in jeopardy” but added “[Julian Assange] has been guilty of the same obfuscation and misinformation as those it sought to expose, while its supporters are expected to follow, unquestioningly, in blinkered, cultish devotion.”
Jemima Khan talks sense. Some of what Assange did was in the public interest but his behaviour now is ridiculous and his attitude to justice perverse. Julian Assange should walk out into Hans Crescent and hand himself in.
Five of the best places to enjoy a great lunch deal in The Royal Borough
It being January, we’re all after a deal. Here are a few places that you can enjoy on a budget in the country’s most expensive borough.
Sette, 4 Sydney Street, SW3, 6PP
Situated in the heart of Chelsea, this stylish Italian restaurant is popular with locals and visitors alike. Owned by Frankie Dettori MBE, where else can you get to sit amongst rock and racing stars for just £15 for a two course set lunch that includes a glass of wine?
The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant, Jumeirah Carlton Tower, 1 Cadogan Place, London, SW1X 9PY
Ably managed by Michele Caggianese, this Knightsbridge institution offers a 3 course set lunch for £29 including a glass of champagne during January and February. The bar is the perfect spot to start as the offering here includes some of the finest English gins and a great selection of aromatic bitters.
Brompton Bar & Grill, 243 Brompton Road, London, SW3 2EP
François O’Neill pulled off a masterstroke in opening this neighbourhood bar and grill. With a set lunch menu priced at £18.50 for two courses, here you’ll find not only great English classics but if you daring enough abinsthe served traditionally with a water fountain.
Maggie Jones’s, 6 Old Court Place, London, W8 4PL
If you are on a real budget but feel like living like a royal, head to the restaurant named after Princess Margaret off Kensington Church Street. For just £10, they offer a soup and a salad. The sister restaurant of Belgravia’s La Poule au Pot is a must visit for anyone shopping in Kensington.
Blakes Hotel, 33 Roland Gardens, London, SW7 3PF
The world’s ultimate boutique hotel offers a tremendous set lunch if you’re on a date or want to impress. If you want privacy and discretion, this is the place to go. With 2 courses for just £19 and 3 courses for £24.50, you can dine amongst the opulence and splendour of this hidden secret without blowing the bank.
A review of Channel 4’s Millionaire Playboy Races by Matthew Steeples
I watched last night’s Millionaire Playboy Racers expecting to find myself in agreement with Knightsbridge residents complaining about the noise generated by Arabs and their supercars. In many instances I would have previously agreed that they are bloody pests but surprisingly, by the end of the 45-minute Channel 4 documentary, I was left with feelings quite to the contrary.
My followers on Facebook often comment on the snaps I take of the supercars that come to London from Dubai, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Some are impressive and amazing. Others are vulgarity personified. A few are shown below.
A pink Rolls-Royce PhantomA purple Mercedes-Benz G-ClassThe white way to go?
Millionaire Playboy Racers was commissioned, like most television these days, to provoke. It failed. The whingeing residents of The Royal Borough complaining about the cars, one of whom was bizarrely named “Panda” Morgan-Thomas, came across as spoilt and obnoxious whilst it was a Kuwaiti named Abdul Aziz Al Rashed who came across best.
Panda Morgan-Thomas and her daughter in Sloane Street
Abdul Aziz Al Rashed in one of his supercars
This sensible young man expressed his views clearly. He understood the situation and though the British police treated him unfairly at one point, he remained reasonable. As the show ended he stated:
“I be very serious with you… At 12am I stop using this car as many people are sleeping… My friends are very sad to go back to Kuwait… I feel very sad to leave this nice place to go back to my desert… Give us London and we give you Kuwait.”
Morgan-Thomas, her daughter and their friends on the other hand came across as weird busybodies. These resentful, hectoring pests showed the people of this wealthy enclave in their worst light. As an example, Ms Morgan-Thomas showed the cameras a tree made out of roses that she had dried in her flat that she was building up towards her ceiling. She stated that when the top was reached she might marry her partner. Who on earth would do such a bizarre thing? The woman is plainly a loon.
Justin Downes, another of their number, did not help the cause of the anti-supercar crusaders with comments like:
“[They’ve created] a kingdom of Qatar in the middle of London… Idiots… I’ve seen the area move from being a very quiet residential area to being cosmopolitan in a way that is extreme… These Gulfies come in and use the area to drive recklessly. If they were UK citizens they’d be prosecuted… I am angry.”
Here were people who came across as racists and bigots. They damaged their cause and of the residents the only one I felt sorry for was an elderly lady who lived in a basement studio near Harrods. This poor woman came was indeed being disturbed late at night and if more like her had been interviewed then an entirely different perspective would have been presented. Instead, Channel 4, to satisfy their viewers, allowed a woman who lived in one of London’s main shopping streets to make residents come across as a bunch of utter weirdos and freaks.
I am still of the opinion that many of these Arab drivers are reckless and vulgar but having watched this programme, the ridiculousness of the “Knightsbridge girl” Panda and her chums has now truly been exposed. In fact, I’d rather it be her who is kept off the streets of SW1.
He looks like a harmless old buffer but he truly isn’t. On approach, there’s always a tale of woe and then a demand for £50. His wife has died in Gloucester and he hasn’t got the train fare or he needs a hotel room for the night as his wallet was stolen. Whatever the story from this swearing pest, £50 is always required and we hope this entry warns off others in SW3 from falling for his con.
Our new columnist Jacinta de Vere analyses fashion’s most dangerous colour
I really enjoy seeing people take various pieces that you would think would look hideous on their own and combine them to make a fantastic look. Alternatively, there are people who take one piece and manage to look like a hot mess.
Jacinta de Vere suggests that opting for a red outfit can result in you either looking like a “vision in…” or “getting it all wrong.” There’s no middle ground.
When I choose an ensemble, I think to myself: “Keep it simple and edit.” I am not sure what I loathe more, a slovenly attired woman or a woman who manages to miswear a fabulous designer. One does not need to wear a well-known label to look good. One just needs to edit and to think about what is flattering for one’s body and proportions. Colours are very important when selecting a piece to buy or to pull out of your closet. If you go too soft, you get drowned out by the shade and if you go too bold, you become an easy eyesore.
As any respectable person who loves fashion will tell you, the colour red tends to be more associated with your bank balance at the end of the month after a Harrods shopping spree rather than the “it” colour of your wardrobe. Red is one of the colours that some people tend to get all wrong. Selecting the right shade of red for your skin tone can really lift and brighten you. Selecting the wrong shade of red for your skin tone can make you resemble a flashing street light and overwhelm you. Additionally, if you choose a busy red dress in the wrong shade, you may find yourself with an imaginary bowl of fruit on your head, holding maracas.
Recently while dining with friends, a woman dressed in a red feathered and lace ensemble walked by our table. This hideous dress made her look like a bright red “Big Bird.” I spotted the back of Big Bird and much to my horror, she had also decided to wear her favorite red bra. I would have chosen a nude strapless Le Mystere bustier bra. I am not sure what “look” this woman was attempting to achieve, aside from resembling “Cha-cha” in Grease, but I think everyone should try to keep it simple when wearing red. If I were her, I would get new friends because letting her leave the house in that ensemble was a crime to any friendship. Either pick lace or pick the feathers but to wear both together is a fashion disaster on any continent.
Marchesa versus Jane Norman
Marchesa has a lace and tulle cocktail dress at £5,700 (http://www.netaporter.com) that is sexy, stylish and just the right kind of busy. If you’re on a recession budget, then have a look at Jane Norman’s lace dress at £35 (http://www.houseoffraser.com). You want the attention on you because of your fabulous lace dress, not because of your poor choice of red.
Elie Saab versus Jessica Howard
Another woman was wearing a red Lanvin, floor length chiffon Grecian style gown. She was blond with an uneven skin tone, so the red gown with all the chiffon layers overpowered her. The fact she skipped putting on a bra did not help her case. I was confounded, wondering if her chest sagged due to the lack of support or if she failed to tailor the layers of chiffon draping the dress. It pained me to see this lovely dress make this woman look terrible. If we are insecure about our bodies and would like to hide our imperfections, we should find a way to emphasize the positive assets whilst camouflaging the bits you do not like. Buying designer does not guarantee you are going to look amazing. The dress may be amazing but you can still get it wrong if the dress overwhelms you. You want to wear the dress not the opposite. I think if our pot-bellied, saggy chested friend had chosen Elie Saab’s gathered front gown at £3,065 (http://www.netaporter.com) or, if on budget, Jessica Howard’s one shouldered beaded waist gown at £80 (http://www.houseoffraser.com), she would have looked like a million bucks.
Spanx, Le Mystère and Bring It Up
One can hide unsightly bits and pieces in an outfit without getting lost in yards of chiffon. Just because you’re wearing Lanvin, Valentino, Erdem or Chanel, it does not mean it will look good on you. Buy for the cut and fit and not the label. For these unfortunate situations, I turn to Spanx Slimplicity Convertible Full Slip at £79 (http://www.spanx.co.uk) and to Le Mystère sculptural strapless bra Style 2755 at £56 (http://www.lemystere.com). These are my lifesavers when I am wearing borrowed, tighter fitting or strapless outfits. Lastly, if my chest needs a temporary lift, I rely on Bring It Up Instant Breast Lifts, 8 pairs/pack at $20 (http://www.bringitup.com).
Jacinta de Vere is a lover of haute couture and all things fashionable and decadent. She is based in London.
The Steeple Times asks the magician and musician Daniel Rosenfeldt: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
Stephen Fry.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
Madonna has a great one: “Don’t cheat”. You can do what you like in life but you have to put in the work.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?
The fighting happening in the Middle East. People in this day and age killing each other over religious beliefs. How thick do you have to be to kill another person because they choose to believe in something different to you? It blows my mind.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
Tony Blair being Prime Minister… Not. ”Me?” Nothing at all. I’m rocking a fairy tale. Great childhood, great friends and family, I live in Copenhagen and I play guitar and perform magic for a living. What’s to miss?
What might you swap all your wealth for?
Peace of mind is priceless stuff.
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?
If this is the case, then the Greeks would be laughing, but they don’t look so happy to me so maybe Donald got it wrong. And it wouldn’t be the first time: he also backed Romney.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
When people say: “To be honest”. It implies that they lie most other times.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
I think we should help where we can. I perform magic in hospitals and for charity events. Everyone loves magic. Please look on my website to book me for this. I do it for free and it’s a big part of the reason I do what I do. I’m planning a tour through the hospitals in Copenhagen which starts in February.
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?
That judge had it coming. Anyone against Gerard Butler is toast! Have you seen 300?
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
The entire cast of QI, Rune Klan and his dog Balthazar, Benjamin Earl, Klaus Mulbjerg and Roland Rudd who would naturally start the speeches.
Daniel Rosenfeldt
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Steak béarnaise at home with my parents and brothers.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
I put beer in pancake batter and it’s never too early for pancakes 🙂
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
An ice cold beer, please.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
I like the ones that sneak up on you, you’re busy having fun and then all of a sudden Dario is dancing on the couch with a sheepskin and a lampshade on his head, air drumming.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
I don’t feel guilty about things that please me. Except maybe Dario dancing on the couch with a sheep skin and a lamp shade on his head…
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
Dario dancing on the couch… Nah!
Who is the most positive person you know?
Rune Klan.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
I would like to imagine myself as a vintage Rolls but I think I’m more of a husky drawn sledge.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I’m constantly surprised that I surprise people for a living. My parents are even more surprised!
Watch a YouTube video of Daniel Roesenfeldt’s “A Christmas in South Africa” at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxvK7ZYn69I and an example of his magical talents at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUydpcbb_lo
A gent who operated by routine, whisky and 40 cigarettes a day. This clubman’s knowledge of London history was phenomenal and he was dedicated to his role as parish clerk at St. Michael’s Cornhill. Gaze, a Russian icon dealer with a shop in the Piccadilly Arcade, lived a life full of dramas that included being kidnapped by a lunatic named Sacheverell de Houghton and entertaining drag queens in his set of rooms, formerly occupied by Edward Heath, in Albany, W1. Here was a bohemian character who stopped traveling after smoking was banned on aircraft and whom loved both Beethoven and The Beatles.
Matthew Steeples explores the story of an empty Kensington mansion
A multi-million pound 8-bedroomed house in Kensington isn’t anything unusual. In fact, rather, they’re ten a penny. In this, one of the wealthiest boroughs in the land, large, expensive homes are just the norm.
An image of the existing exterior of No. 1 Campden Hill, London, W8 7ADA rendered image of how the exterior of the renovated property might lookThe plans show a vast subterranean development that will vastly increase the size of No. 1 Campden Hill
No. 1 Campden Hill, which is being marketed for an undisclosed eight-figure sum, is in a quite different league. Here is a detached Edwardian house in an acre of grounds just to the north of Kensington High Street. It’s an unrenovated property but it attracted much press attention in October 2011 because it was place on the market in October 2011 at a price of £75,000,000. Yes, you heard it right: £75 million for a fixer-upper. Last week, Radio 4 made a hell of a fuss about a derelict semi-detached house in Newcastle selling for just £14,000 so this truly must be something special.
Architect Edward P. Warren (1856 – 1937), far right, in the offices of Bodley & Garner, 14 South Square, Gray’s Inn, London
The architect of the house Edward Prioleau Warren (1856 – 1937), a Bristol born architect and archaeologist, was best known for “Oxford colleges and minor country houses” but also designed the War Cemetery at Basra. He was a friend and adviser to the American novelist Henry James and in addition to building No. 1 Campden Hill in 1915, he also designed a house at 5 Palace Green in 1906 and another, Estcort House in Kensington Palace Gardens, in 1904. Warren’s guiding style is described as having been to recreate an “understated revival of English late 17th century” architecture and at No. 1 Campden Hill he created just that.
Colonel Edmond Grove-Hills (1864 – 1922), born Edmond Hills, and his wife, Juliet Spencer-Bell, were the architect’s clients. A plaque on the building bares their names and the following dedication:
This House I built for Me & Mine
May it be of Peace A Shrine
And no Enmity or Sin
Ever find its way therein
AD 1915
Sadly for the Grove-Hills, the following year, their son, Second Lieutenant Charles Herbert-Hills (1895 – 1916) was killed on the Somme aged just 21. His father, meanwhile, was awarded a CBE in 1918 after having served as the Assistant Chief Engineer of Eastern Command during the war.
Aside from his military exploits, Edmond Grove-Hills is best known for his role as president of the Royal Astronomical Society. He took part in observations of eclipse of the sun in Japan in 1896, India in 1898 and Russia in 1914 and contributed papers analysing both this and the causes of the irregular movements of the earth’s axis of rotation.
In 1951, No. 1 Campden Hill was purchased by the government of Uruguay and it became the residence of their ambassador to the United Kingdom. For the next fifty years the building was barely altered but when the lease from the Phillimore Kensington Estate came to an end, there were legal problems as the 1951 transfer had never been stamped. Of this, Sharon Mulroney of Forsters, the legal representatives of Phillimore, commented:
“It is highly unusual to be faced with complications of this kind when dealing with a registered London title, but this made the transaction all the more fascinating. Even the decision to allow ambassadorial staff to return to the property for security purposes after completion was fraught with potential problems about security of tenure, employment and tax.”
The proposed site plan shows the addition of a garden pavilion, staff/security cottage and a tennis court
Eventually, without issue, the Phillimore Estate sold on the house in 2001 for a price of approximately £17,000,000. In the years since, the property was effectively mothballed as all the purchasers have done is to have obtained planning permission to redevelop the building into a mammoth mansion of epic proportions.
A computer rendered image of how the drawing room might lookThe “leisure area” is reminiscent of the entrance to The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park HotelThe private home cinema would be the envy of any movie buffThe swimming poolThe wine cellar is rather like a contemporary take on Berry Bros. & Rudd’s flagship store in St. James’s StreetAnd to complete it all… The plans include your own version of Boujis in the basement
The approved plans show designs for something quite remarkable. Warren’s “understated” residence will be replaced with 8 vast bedroom suites, grand entertaining spaces, a lift and even bedrooms for 5 staff. In addition to a full-scale renovation of the original freehold house, there is scope to provide a total of 30,000 square feet of accommodation by adding a huge subterranean complex that will include a 25-metre swimming pool, court, squash court, gym, sauna, steam room, function room, entertainment room, home cinema, wine tasting room and even a nightclub to rival any of Kensington’s trendiest haunts.
On that basis alone, No. 1 Campden Hill is surely the ideal residence for Prince Harry: “Who needs Boujis?” we hear him cry.
No. 1 Campden Hill, London, W8 7AD is for sale through Knight Frank. For more details contact Roddy Craggs on +44 (0) 20 7938 4311 or go to:http://search.knightfrank.com/ken100161to download a brochure.
Henrik Fisker: a man who creates automotive winners
Readers of The Steeple Times will know that we are big fans of the designs of Henrik Fisker and most especially his Fisker Karma – a car that has sadly not yet made it to Britain’s roads.
We very much hope that this superb automobile does arrive soon, but a newsletter we received this morning from Hexagon Classics reminded us that Fisker has been responsible for many other groundbreaking vehicles, amongst them the BMW Z8.
Automotive designer Henrik Fisker with a Fisker KarmaRepublican Mitt Romney during the first in a series of debates with President Barrack Obama
Mr Fisker hit the news last week when the foolish Republican who desires to be President, Mitt Romney, made the following comment during his first debate with Barrack Obama:
“You put $90 billion, like 50 years’ worth of breaks, into solar and wind, to Solyndra and Fisker and Tester [we think he pulled a “Bushism” and meant Tesla] and Ener1… I mean, I had a friend who said you don’t just pick the winners and losers, you pick the losers, all right?”
Fisker Automotive’s spokesman, Roger Ormisher, rubbished this nonsense with the following riposte:
“We don’t consider ourselves a loser having sold 1,500 cars already, raised over $1.2 billion of private equity and are now expanding our export markets to GCC and China. We believe that is a quite an achievement for a small American business.”
Ormisher raises valid points and, in our humble opinion, Romney is wrong not to support this pioneering brand. Fisker is an innovative company that is now holding its own and setting the agenda in eco-friendly vehicles. That the especially pernickety Top Gear team love the Karma speaks volumes and frankly, this silly politician should just keep his oar out.
The Henrik Fisker designed BMW Z8 roadster offered by Hexagon ClassicsThe car with the roof upThe rather bold red and black interiorPierce Brosnan with a BMW Z8 in the 1999 James Bond film “The World Is Not Enough”
Hexagon Classics offer a 2002 BMW Z8 5.0 litre roadster in titanium silver with a sports red and black Nappa hide interior at a price of £119,995. The car has only 9,013 miles on the clock and can achieve a top speed of 155mph.
The Z8 roadster was good enough for Pierce Brosnan in the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough and if you’re in the market for a roadster, this particular vehicle could definitely “give you the world.”
Who would have imagined seeing a Phantom and a Mulsanne drag racing?
In London, people do strange things with supercars. Arabs like His Highness Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, aged 28, don’t bother to insure their wrapped orange £230,000 Ferrari FF’s and find them impounded by the Metropolitan Police whilst Iraqi playboys race Ferrari 599’s down Sloane Street at 120 mph. Meanwhile, the Qatarai royals plainly don’t understand the concept of parking charges and strangely prefer to leave their £1.2million Koenigsegg CCXR’s to be clamped. The world of the super rich and their chariots is, indeed, nothing other than bemusing.
A Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Bentley Mulsanne drag racing in the 2012 goldRush Rally
When, yesterday, Thilo Martin, a director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Geneva, kindly shared an image on Facebook, I truly saw two luxury cars being used in a manner that I could never have expected. In a photograph taken at the 2012 goldRush Rally readers will see a £253,000 Rolls Royce Phantom and a £225,000 Bentley Mulsanne drag racing.
The Rolls-Royce PhantomThe Bentley Mulsanne
We at The Steeple Times found this strange use of two vehicles that normally are more likely to be found on Rodeo Drive, Park Avenue or Bond Street most amusing and for that reason it had to be our picture of the week.
