The Steeple Times

Tag: mantelpiece

  • Phoebe Lapine: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    Phoebe Lapine: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    The Steeple Times asks the chef, author and BBC America “Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S.” contestant Phoebe Lapine: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?

    Food. Friends. Fun.

     

    “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    “Be the heroine of your own life, not the victim.” The quote is courtesy of the late but brilliant Nora Ephron.

     

    Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?

    Had to Google that one. Um, onesies (or as we call them in America, “footie pajamas”)… Just kidding, those are timeless.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    Horses: I can’t seem to find space for one in my New York City apartment.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    An iron and a bottomless stomach. Or an invisibility cloak.

     

    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?

    Greed is not good. Sorry, Gordo.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    “No.”

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    I feed a revolving door of twenty-something’s who don’t think they’re capable of roasting a chicken. If only someone had taught them what it takes to prepare real food when they were young. My causes include culinary education for kids and also pediatric cancer research via The Valerie Fund.

     

    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?

    You don’t need to shout for the person on the other end to hear you. It’s an iPhone, not a tin can on a string.

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    Julia Child, Jamie Oliver, Ruth Reichl and Nora Ephron for the first half. Just me and ten clones of Ryan Gosling for the second.

     

    Chef and author Phoebe Lapine

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    Sole meunière, frites, haricots vert, strong strong strong French mustard and a vat of mayonnaise. Warm chocolate chip cookies for dessert. I’d eat it on a hillside in Provence surrounded by horses. So, I guess, there should be a bucket of apples too.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, right?

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    Campari soda.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    My own. I love feeding my friends and having a ball and going to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. Plus, I never have to put on shoes.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    Debbie Phillips: Every woman’s spiritual mother.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Trashy magazines.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    A heart shaped spoon.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    I can’t think of an answer that’s not vaguely sexual.

     

    Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I’m very social, but also I’m a closet introvert. I need a lot of “me” time to recharge.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    I wish I had one. On the ledge of my sleeping loft I have a candle, an empty water glass and a novel.

     

     

    Phoebe Lapine is a chef, author and food personality. The daughter of Tony Award winning American stage director and librettist James Lapine, she is a co-founder of the blog Big Girls Small Kitchen and co-author of the cookbook In the Small Kitchen: 100 Recipes From Our Year of Cooking in the Real World.

     

    Phoebe Lapine’s website can be viewed at: http://phoebelapine.com and she shares her recipes at: http://feedmephoebe.com

     

    Follow Phoebe Lapine on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/PhoebeLapine

  • First Among (Not So) Equals

    First Among (Not So) Equals

    The latest sale of 32a Ovington Square

     

    I first visited 32a Ovington Square in September 2009. At the time, this “hidden house” was the home of Lord Carrington and it had just come on the market at a price, if I recall correctly, of circa £3,000,000.

     

    The newly redeveloped Carrington House, 32a Ovington Square, London, SW3 1LR
    The Rt. Hon. The Lord Carrington KG, GCMG, CH, MC, PC, DL (born 6th June 1919) with his wife Lady Carrington (1920 – 2009) and their dog Edward

     

    A friend was looking for somewhere to buy in London and I’d somehow come across the aforementioned property in a magazine. A detached house in Knightsbridge at this price seemed like a bargain and as he was keen to take a look and I lived round the corner, we arranged to see it together.

     

    During this period, I had unfortunately made the mistake of making the acquaintance of a former ambassador’s wife who thought herself rather grand. Said woman somehow found out about my friend going to what Americans might term an “open house” at 32a Ovington Square and somehow muscled in. This individual happened to be selling her own home nearby and I reckon she, like my friend, thought she’d be onto a bargain. She’d previously unsuccessfully tried to persuade my friend to buy her individually styled, Ralph Lauren wallpapered home but as it actually rattled every time an underground train went underneath and as it was far from a bargain, he’d sensibly declined.

     

    We arrived at the 2,240 square foot 32a Ovington Square to be told by a rather unhelpful estate agent that we’d have to just wander round by ourselves and that there was no brochure or floor plan. As a merry throng trailed through the house, Lord Carrington stood in the garden looking bemused and his secretary fussed around him. The pair plainly weren’t comfortable with all the interlopers and all in all, who could blame them.

     

    The ex-ambassador’s wife, whose carelessness Rupert Everett most amusingly made reference to in his recent memoirs, spent the entire visit whingeing about the house being dark and stinking of damp. I had to agree with her as the neighbouring buildings towered over it and there was mould on the walls. My friend simply said: “It needs a fortune spending on it.” We left and later I heard that it sold for well above the asking price. The wife of the ex-ambassador thankfully departed from our lives soon after.

     

    A site plan shows how hidden away 32a Ovington Square truly is – ideal for a government minister or indeed a wayward celebrity

     

    About a year and a half later, I saw 32a Ovington Square for sale with planning permission to construct a far larger residence with a basement and sub-basement pool complex. The price was in the order of £14,000,000. I thought that somewhat ludicrous but now that the very same property is on the market at a price of £23,00,000, it seems that the world has just gone mad.

     

    The brochure for the new residence, which has been renamed, Carrington House, reveals a three-storey low-built freehold building with 5,300 square foot of accommodation. Though 32a Ovington Square has been more than doubled in size by a developer named London City Developments, the sub-basement leisure complex has not been constructed. Could this have been because of planning problems or simply because such construction wasn’t deemed to add value?

     

    In August 2002, Lord Carrington, whom The Mirror described as being  “doddery” in a Scurra diary piece, was said to have objected to a bar named Townhouse behind his former home being given a 1am licence. That bar has since closed but as seven of the residents of Ovington Square and Beauchamp Place also took a dislike to the prospect of subterranean developments at his former home, only proposals for a single basement level were included in the January 2010 plans submitted by a Mr & Mrs R. Garner.

     

    Jeffrey Archer’s 1984 novel “First Among Equals” (published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton, ISBN: 0-340-35266-3)

     

    Aside from controversy with residents and planning officials, this “heavily overlooked,” “dark” house gets a brief credit in Jeffrey Archer’s 1984 novel, First Among Equals:

     

    “Charles would not have normally accepted the invitation. Lately he found cocktail parties to consist of nothing but silly little bits of food, never being able to get the right drink and rarely enjoying the trivial conversation. But when he glanced on his mantelpiece and saw an ‘At Home’ from Lady Carrington he felt it might be an amusing break from the routine he had fallen into since Fiona left. He was keen to discover more about the rumoured squabbles in Cabinet over expenditure cuts. He checked his tie in the mirror, removed an umbrella from the hat stand and left Eaton Square for Ovington Square… He arrived at Lord Carrington’s front door a little after six forty-five. A maid answered his knock, and he walked straight through to a drawing room that could have held fifty guests and very nearly did. He even managed to be served with the right blend of whiskey before joining his colleagues from both the Upper and Lower Houses.”

     

    Turning to the real Lord Carrington, here is a man who has led a remarkable life. He served as Foreign Secretary in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet between 1979 and 1982 and as Secretary General of NATO from 1984 to 1988. The last surviving member of the Cabinets of both Harold Macmillan and Sir Alec Douglas-Home was British High Commissioner in Australia between 1956 and 1959 and also chaired the 1979 Lancaster House conference that brought Zimbabwe’s revolutionary war to an end. In 1991, Carrington presided over diplomatic talks in the former Yugoslavia and commented:

     

    “When I first talked to Presidents Milošević and Tudjman, it was quite clear that both of them had a solution which was mutually satisfactory – which was that they were going to carve up Bosnia between them.”

     

    Lord Carrington at his desk in 32a Ovington Square, Knightsbridge
    The Manor House, Bledlow, Buckinghamshire, HP27 9PB is the country home of Lord Carrington

     

    Milošević was found dead in his cell in 2006 but it is quite possible that Lord Carrington’s name will be mentioned in the trial of Goran Hadzic at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia that has just commenced at The Hague. It is amazing to think that matters involving this 93-year old politician are still current but Carrington’s stamina is shown in his roles as the longest serving member of the House of Lords and the second longest serving member of the Privy Council after HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

     

    Aside from politics, there is much on the internet, a considerable amount of it written by wildcards and fantasists whose number includes David Icke, about Carrington’s involvement with Henry Kissinger, the Illuminati, the Bilderberg Group and the Committee of 300. The consensus of these conspiracy theorists generally borders on the ludicrous, but it is without doubt that Lord Carrington had and continues to have influence in many high places. He was chairman of Christie’s International PLC from 1988 to 1993 and has held directorships on the boards of companies that have included Barclays Banks PLC, Hambros PLC, Cadbury Schweppes PLC, Amalgamated Metal Corporation PLC, British Metal Corpoation PLC, Rio Tinto PLC, Kissinger Associates Inc. and Hollinger Inc.

     

    The main entrance to Carrington House
    The main reception room of the house is decorated in a contemporary style and a far cry from the traditional decoration favoured by Lord and Lady Carrington
    An essential feature in any house priced over £10 million is a media room
    Carrington House now boasts a bar that any dignitary would envy
    The newly added basement level features an entertaining hall, dining room, bar, gym, media room and two bedroom suites
    The staircase is now lit by a glazed cupola
    The master bedroom
    The master bathroom
    Another bedroom, located at basement level, is decorated with a Scottish theme and has access to a shared courtyard
    The other suite that shares the courtyard is decorated with an “Out of Africa” theme complete with an image of a zebra and matching linen and upholstery
    Would the purchaser of a £23,000,000 home truly want an AstroTurf lawn?

     

    Following on from this rather over the top redevelopment, a new chapter has certainly begun at 32a Ovington Square. Whether it is bought by a popstar or a Russian oligarch, they’ll definitely not be anywhere nearly as equal to Lord Carrington in terms of their league of influence.

     

    Carrington House, 32a Ovington Square, London, SW3 1LR is for sale through Knight Frank. For further information contact Nick Vestey on +44 (0) 20 7591 8600. Full details of the house can be viewed at: http://search.knightfrank.com/sla100211

     

    For more details about the Carrington family’s Carrington Estates Ltd., go to: http://www.carington.co.uk/

  • Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    The Steeple Times asks the chef, author and television personality Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force? 

    “Independence and the life choices that come with it.”

     

     “Never regret, never explain, never apologise” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    As Virginia Woolf once said: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

     

    Kerry Katona was unacceptable in 2007. Who is unacceptable in 2012?

    Samantha Brick: She gave women a bad name by writing so many self-serving articles implying that all women are as shallow and as vacuous as she, and that we as a gender make judgements solely on looks.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    Friends and family who I have loved and lost.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    A simple life living by the sea and working in a job that involved the ocean and it’s stunning environment and creatures.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    I hate the abbreviated text language that people use,  it makes people sound very moronic

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    I try and support charities as much as possible within my means and I think we should all do the same. Time is also as worth as much as money in many cases. I generally support Breakthrough Breast Cancer, but I am very keen to get involved in a charity that works for abused women and children. It’s a bigger issue than people think, routinely ignored and sadly it’s on our doorstep.

     

    Have you ever been arrested and if so, for what?

    Hahaha, nope! But that could just mean that I’ve never been caught… Only joking.

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    Definitely Marie Antoinette as she knew how to party and I love the clothes of that era. Cleopatra was a glamorous and formidable woman so she must come too. I’d also like Gregory Peck as he seemed like a real gentleman and my great grandfather Admiral Godfrey, who was head of Naval Intelligence in World War II. Ian Fleming was his PA and apparently the James Bond books were based on Ian Fleming’s time working with him. In fact, the character ‘M’ was based on my great grandfather and I would just love to hear the stories in person. There are many more people too, but those four would make an interesting start.

     

    Sophie Michell

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    It would be a classic seafood platter by the sea somewhere possibly on the French Riviera. I suggest this mainly because with all the shells you have to crack open to extract the tasty morsels taking such a long time to get through, it would give me time to plan my escape.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    Any time after noon if on holiday. Any time after 6pm if at home. Failing those terms, you can always bend the rules by proclaiming loudly that it is always cocktail hour somewhere in the world at any given time. This works for me.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    A dirty martini every time.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    I love private house parties as they are personal and always great fun. I entertain a lot when I can for both work and pleasure. I think it enables one to be quite creative and I love seeing an event come off well. I also love really chilled out beach parties, when everyone is glowing from a day in the sunshine and you can hear the sea.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    My darling friend Miss Emma Nettleton. Nothing seems so serious after some dancing and giggles with her.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Ha ha ha: Guilt is a pointless emotion, so a pleasure should be left at that and basically if you feel guilt creeping in, then just don’t do it.

     

    What was the first bone that you broke?

    An ankle bone due to my first foray into ridiculously large platform shoes, aged 14. I haven’t stopped wearing large heels, but I have since mastered the art.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    Probably a dolphin. I am happier in the sea than anywhere else. Although for the record I think tattoos are vile.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    God knows. I don’t drive and have never tried. I am not adverse to beautiful cars, but also not attached to them either.

     

    Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I am actually quite shy and have faint OCD according to my friends. I think it’s otherwise known as being tidy.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    A French antique mirror, a beautiful fluorite crystal, a Dyptique blackberry leaf candle and a couple of out of date invites that will soon be removed.

     

    Sophie Michell is a chef with a true passion for nutrition and healthy eating. She was the private chef for Claudia Schiffer for two years and has cooked for various other famous names including Leonardo DiCaprio and David Cameron. She has presented and appeared on a number of television shows including Cook Yourself Thin, Market Kitchen and Ready Steady Cook.

     

    Sophie Michell’s official website can be viewed at: http://www.sophiemichell.com and information about her latest show, BBC America’s Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S., can be seen at: http://www.bbcamerica.com/chef-race

     

    Purchase Sophie Michell’s latest book, Love Good Food, at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Good-Food-Sophie-Michell/dp/1848990103/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3

  • Celebrating Champions in the Community

    Celebrating Champions in the Community

    An event to support the unsung heroes in our community

     

    On the 8th November, The Steeple Times will be the media partner for a fundraising event jointly hosted by Gina and Alan Miller and The Rt. Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP at The Hurlingham Club in London, SW6. 100% of the funds raised by the “Celebrating Champions in the Community” evening will aid charities supported by Miller Philanthropy and The Centre for Social Justice.

     

    Gina Miller of Miller Philanthropy comments:

     

    “We increasingly hear and read in the media examples of how our society is breaking down. Yet there are unsung heroes battling every day, on all our behalves, trying to reverse these trends. We invite you to celebrate and support these individuals so please join us for an evening of entertainment, celebration and inspiration. 100% of your attendance donation will be going to these community heroes.”

     

    Gina Miller

    The Rt. Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP

     

    This black tie event, whose principal sponsor is the luxury couture house Ralph & Russo, will include a drinks reception, dinner and auction as well as entertainment from the BRIT-Award winning singer Beverley Craven; Antony Costa, a former member of the pop boy band sensation Blue; the Magpie Dance company and Derek Paravicini, one of the great musical entertainers of his generation.

     

    Beverley Craven
    Antony Costa
    Magpie Dance

    Derek Paravicini

     

    A donation of £150 per person comes as the condition of attending, 100% of which goes to charities being supported.

     

    Miller Philanthropy

    Miller Philanthropy is a family foundation founded on passion and integrity with 100% transparency and 100% of funds raised going to charities and causes.

     

    The foundation focuses on small community charities – the unsung heroes who undertake vital work at the coal face of the negative trends in our society; primarily, but not exclusively in the UK. Miller Philanthropy’s premise is based upon a strong belief that charity begins at home.

     

    The foundation acts as a philanthropic incubator for chosen charities and projects who undertake transformational work but face a growing number of challenges and lack of resources. We mentor and partner these extraordinary individuals and organisations until they become sustainable.

     

    Beneficiary Charities

    • The AMBER Trust
    • Best Beginnings
    • Chernobyl Children’s Project
    • Crossway Pregnancy Crisis Centre
    • Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust
    • HELP Counselling Centre
    • Magpie Dance
    • Pond Conservation
    • Street Kids International
    • Target Ovarian Cancer

     

    The Centre for Social Justice

    The Centre for Social Justice is an independent think-tank, established to put social justice at the heart of British politics. Moved by shocking levels of disadvantage across the nation, it studies the root causes of Britain’s acute social problems in partnership with its Alliance of over 350 grassroots charities and people whose lives have been affected by poverty.

     

    This enables the CSJ to find and promote evidence-based, experience-led solutions to change lives and transform communities.

     

    The CSJ believes that the surest way to reverse social breakdown – and the poverty it creates – is to build resilience within individuals, families and the innovative organisations able to help them.

     

    Breakthrough Britain

    In 2007, the CSJ published its landmark report Breakthrough Britain. This publication has had a significant impact on the previous and present government and has led to the current welfare reforms being implemented across the UK. In Autumn 2012, the CSJ is set to produce Breakthrough Britain II which will update its policy recommendations, with the aim of creating a cross-party consensus on some of the most important policy issues facing Britain today.

     

    For more details about The Centre for Social Justice, go to: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk
     
    For more details about Miller Philanthropy, go to: http://www.millerphilanthropy.com

     

    To book tickets to the Celebrating Champions in the Community event, contact Rachael Dove of Miller Philanthropy on +44 (0) 20 7838 8650 or email [email protected]

     

  • Gina Miller: What’s on your mantelpiece?

    Gina Miller: What’s on your mantelpiece?

    “The Steeple Times” quizzes leading philanthropist Gina Miller about what’s on her mantelpiece

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?

    Life is short, so don’t live in regret.

     “Never regret, never explain, never apologise” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    The three C’s – compassion, common sense and confidence are far more valuable than three A’s.

    Kerry Katona was unacceptable in 2007. Who is unacceptable in 2012?

    Human traffickers.

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    Sleep.
    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    Knowing my children will be happy.

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    “Honestly, I really mean it”: Implies they are lying the rest of the time.

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    Charity begins at home and should be a fundamental value in all our families and societies.  It is about the small actions, consideration and kindnesses we undertake every day, not the big gestures we make once in a while. If we all did this, the ripple effect would be enormous and would heal many of society’s ills.

    Have you ever been arrested and if so, for what?

    Yes, I was mistakenly identified as a local in Egypt and arrested for being improperly attired.

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    My children, my husband, Oscar Wilde and the archaeologist Howard Carter.

    Gina Miller

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    A tin of caviar and a teaspoon; in a garden full of scented roses and wild flowers (maybe I could use the teaspoon to tunnel my way out!).

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    Whatever time you fancy, as it’s always the ‘right time’ somewhere on the globe.

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    A martini.

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    Those with great drink, great food, great music and lovely people – on a balmy beach. Idyllic.

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    My daughter who has special needs – she is not socialised or limited by academic thinking. She is a true free thinker with genuine EQ.

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Caviar.

    What was the first bone that you broke?

    Knee.
    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    Women don’t smoke cigars!

    If you were a car, what marquee would you be?

    Morgan.
    Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I was a free climber before I destroyed my thumbs which are very arthritic – the higher and more testing the better. All started when I was a tomboy and thought I was a superhero. I have climbed on all 6 continents and still think I can fly.

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    An invite to a gorgeous girl’s wedding and a sculpture of a lady welded together from car nuts and bolts produced by some supposed lost youths who were engaged in car theft but who are now successful engaged in a mechanic apprenticeship scheme we set up in Redditch.

     

    Gina Miller is a founding partner of SCM Private and also runs the True and Fair campaign. More information can be viewed at http://www.scmprivate.com and http://trueandfaircampaign.com