An evening of fondue at Bodo’s Schloss in Kensington
Bodo’s Schloss, a restaurant, bar and disco reminiscent of an Austrian alpine lodge, opened late last year and became an instant hit with the Chelsea set. For them and personalities such as Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow, in fact, it’s rather like a little slice of Lech and Zürs has come to London.
A singer, actress and composer who has been a star all her life. Brought up in Epsom, Surrey and best known for Downtown, Petula Clark surprisingly made her radio debut aged just 9 and appeared at the Royal Albert Hall when she was only 11. She now lives between Switzerland and Chelsea and can occasionally be spotted at La Brasserie in Brompton Cross. A lady of simple tastes, Clark modestly states: “The stretch limo with the blackout windows and the bodyguards are fun, but I prefer going out alone with just my bus fare in my pocket and catching a number 19 bus. The scenery’s the same whatever form of transport you’re using”. A Facebook page was created in 2012 as part of a campaign to make this legend a Dame. We back it with enthusiasm.
The Steeple Times asks “super-tutor” Topes Calland: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
The mantra I use with my students is: “clarity, confidence, creativity”.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“Neither here nor there”, because I’m generally not.
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013?
Kerry Katona.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
The freedom to stay in one place for any length of time.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
I’d be lucky if I could convince someone to swap my wealth for a family-sized packet of Revels.
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?
Cash is King.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
Crampon.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
Charity should, and inevitably does, begin at home. I’m a keen supporter of educational charities, or any charity that involves giving people a second chance.
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?
My ‘phone is one step up from two cups and a piece of string. I like to be able to call, and be called, in an emergency. Everything else can wait.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
A random sample of people from the Argos on High Street Ken. I went there a few weeks ago looking for multi-coloured Christmas lights and it really does contain the most disparate cross-section of society.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Anything based around egg-fried rice. I bloody love it. So long as I have my rice, I don’t much mind where I eat it.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
It rarely occurs to me to drink anything much stronger than Um Bongo, so I’m tickled pink any time have a craving for a tipple; it makes me feel like a real grown-up.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
See above.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
Any party that doesn’t involve fancy dress. I don’t care if I sound miserable; I get slight acid reflux on my back molars just thinking about it.
Who is the most positive person you know?
I try to avoid people who are too inanely positive. I prefer ‘quietly optimistic’.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Channel 4’s Coach Trip. In fact, I’m not even particularly guilty about it. Scrap my answer to the ‘Orient Express’ question; I’d much rather go with the contestants from any given season of Coach Trip.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
I’m a bit of a baby when it comes to needles, so something small and essential… preferably on somebody else.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
Probably a Ford Mondeo, or something equally unintimidating.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I hate surprises. I was a much bigger fan of Blind Date which is why I’m enjoying this interview so much.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
I don’t have a mantelpiece but if I did, I’d sit on it, just because I could.
Topes Calland is an Oxford graduate and the co-founder of Howard Calland Education Consultants. He has become well known for tutoring the children of rock stars and royalty.
For more information, go to: http://www.howardcalland.com
Matthew Steeples exposes the hypocrisy of Kensington & Chelsea Council
The Royal Borough’s announcement that they plan to remove rubbish bins in the area because they view them to “attract the wrong kind of rubbish” received much news coverage last week.
This ludicrous idea is supposedly part of the council’s attempts at money saving but in reality all it will do is make more mess. Where now will Joe Bloggs put his Starbucks takeaway after he’s finished it and where will he dispose of an ice cream wrapper, for example?
Instead of removing something that is truly essential, the council should focus on other areas where they could save money. The Mayor and his deputy, you may or may not know, are provided with a Bentley and a Jaguar.
In my view these “economizing” councilors should be made to walk or even follow Boris Johnson’s lead and take a Barclays bike. If however, they are required, surely these fuel inefficient vehicles should be replaced with something more appropriate like a Toyota Prius. It is the Bentley that should be banished, not the bins.
The Steeple Times asks the Bond Street couturier and Huntsman co-owner Roubi L’Roubi: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
“Achieve the ideal”, striving for perfection in my craft. Indeed, I am reminded of this every day, because I am lucky enough to work with the team at Huntsman who really are the finest tailors and cutters in the world.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
Misericordie et beneficentie sunt omnes (Compassion and kindness are all).
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013?
Abuse of human rights.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
Not having time for my horses.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
The health and well-being of my partner and my family.
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?
It’s time to do things differently. In Africa there is a microfinance scheme called Sundouk. A small number of people (usually women) get together and pay in a set amount, regularly, say once a month. Each time a member is given the total paid in on that day to invest in their business or do whatever they need to do. The next month, someone else receives the full amount. It works.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“I” and “want”.
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 have to think in terms of a global home. Children hold our future in their hands so I support the NSPCC and Childline.
The judge in “Law Abiding Citizen” states: “I can pretty do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
Couldn’t live without it, I text my mother all the time – it’s a miracle to connect with someone 5,761 miles away, instantly. But I always put it away when I’m with anyone and get in a rage when that someone doesn’t follow suit.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
My partner and then a selection of our friends who are always rushing. The Orient Express is very slow, it would do them so much good.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Fruit, particularly berries, and a pot of PG Tips tea.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
Lunch, with food.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
Tea, so long as it’s PG .
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
Our own – because we’ve chosen the guests. It’s great to mix people and see how they mix together and enjoy each other.
Who is the most positive person you know?
Joanna our seamstress.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Movies. I love watching movies with friends. Nothing beats a film, popcorn and Diet Coke enjoyed in good company.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
Tattoos don’t work for me.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
My favourite car is a Porsche Boxster so I’d like to think we are similar.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I have a degree from Imperial College, London in mechanical engineering.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
The most beautiful blue-grey crystal and silver flask containing perfume created by my mother. It’s a rich, deep mix of sandalwood and musk. It brings back beautiful memories.
Roubi L’Roubi is the founder of the Bond Street couturier Roubi L’Roubi and the co-owner and creative director of iconic Savile Row tailor Hunstman.
Huntman: http://www.h-huntsman.com
Roubi L’Roubi: http://www.roubi.eu
Matthew Steeples leaves a tribute to Michael Winner
As I’ve said before, Michael Winner (30th October 1935 – 21st January 2013) was like Marmite. He was loved and loathed in equal measure. Restaurants put up signs announcing “This restaurant is a Michael Winner free zone” after banning him for the most obnoxious and sometimes truly unfair reviews but his fans celebrated him in equal measure.
Winner is best known both for his Death Wish films and as a restaurant critic and I would suggest that the world is a poorer place for his passing. Yes, he was a preposterous buffoon with a capability to offend but surprisingly he also often stood for all that was right and decent.
He took the view that “an OBE is what you get if you clean the toilets well at King’s Cross station” and once told Richard Littlejohn that he was an “arsehole”. Given my views on some of the names that have recently been honoured and thoughts on Littlejohn’s bile, I would suggest that shows someone who was actually quite reasonable. This is echoed further in his comment about Gordon Ramsay, whom he described as someone who suffers from “verbal diarrhoea”.
Michael Winner was a man who lived life to the full and in the end that was what took its toll. He suffered with a bacterial infection in Barbados after eating oysters and got food poisoning from eating steak tartare for four days in a row.
Towards the end, after doctors gave him just two years to live, Winner accepted his end was nigh and here we conclude with the last paragraph of his final column for The Sunday Times:
“Gstaad is packed with famous names, all fighting not to be in this column. I totally understand. It’s a miracle they speak to me. If it were known that they associated with me, they’d be barred from right-thinking society. Tell you about it later. Now I need a rest.”
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.
Sette: http://www.sette-restaurant.com
The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant: http://www.theribroom.co.uk
Brompton Bar & Grill: http://www.bromptonbarandgrill.com
Maggie Jones’s: http://www.maggie-jones.co.uk
Blakes Hotel: http://www.blakeshotels.com
She’s best known for the catchphrase: “You are the Weakest Link, goodbye!” but this television great has accomplished much else. The “Queen of Mean” is renowned for her knack of coming up with great newspaper headlines and has also accumulated a fortune of some £40 million. Robinson is vehemently pro fox hunting and lives in Kensington but don’t get her started on what she thinks about the Welsh.
The rise and fall of the “wealthiest divorcee in history” has been extraordinary. A former nude model for her first husband’s Knave magazine and star of adult films such as “The Nine Acres of Nakedness,” Patricia Kluge is the daughter of an Englishman and a Scots-Iraqi. She married her second husband, the late John Kluge, chairman of Metromedia and once the richest man in America, in 1981 after belly dancing for him at a dinner party in New York. As part of her plan to dovetail herself into the top drawer of American society, the couple built a 24,000 square foot mock 18th century English-style mansion, Albermarle, in Virginia and stuffed it full of Chippendale furniture. She got this as part of her $100 million divorce settlement in 1990 and wisely invested part of the payoff in a highly successful business trading football cards but then vanity struck. The Kluge Estate Winery project that she started with her third husband, William Moses, bankrupted the pair in June 2011 and the Bank of America foreclosed on her properties. A lifeline came from “longtime friend” Donald Trump who purchased the vineyard and employed her, but even he’s now uttered the words: “You’re fired!” and sent her packing. Of her newfound predicament Kluge commented: “What did we lose? Material things, nothing too important. When something like this happens you really see who your friends are, those you can rely on, and we have many friends.” Here is a lady with fortitude that can only be described as admirable. It’s probably best, however, to keep her away from the cash register.
A home suitable for James Bond
The latest James Bond film Skyfall is the talk of the town and it’s received many a rave review. The fictional James Bond allegedly lived in Royal Avenue, off the Kings Road in SW3, but if he were looking for a house today, we think 9 Hillgate Street would be the perfect pad.
Utterly unassuming from the street, what lies behind the exterior of this four-storey building is deceptively a new build house constructed in 2010. Designed by Seth Stein Architects, the property is only 18ft wide but an amazing 85ft in length.
Bond would greatly appreciate the lower ground media room and gym with plunge pool and with a staff suite, there’s room to house someone to mix his martinis. A vast 29ft by 16ft living room is open plan to the kitchen and perfect for entertaining but it is most certainly the master bedroom suite that would make the perfect spot for his extra curricular activities. Four terraces arranged around a courtyard provide ample outdoor space and with all manner of techonological gadgets, 9 Hillgate Street most certainly would make an ideal bachelor pad.
What truly would suit Bond perfectly, though, in this 4,286 square foot £7,950,000 house is the garage. Cleverly disguised and decorated as a normal room, there’s even an Aston sat waiting parked there. Daniel Craig should put in a bid.
9 Hillgate Street, London, W8 7SP is on the market with Domus Nova. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7727 1717. For more details, go to: http://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/16234784?search_identifier=1dc68e7f093f381788be3dda54be33ed
For more information about Seth Stein Architects, go to: http://www.sethstein.com