Tag: May 2017

Backing Borwick

K&C resident Justin Downes shares his reasons for supporting Victoria Borwick, the Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for Kensington

It is sad that politics has become – if it ever wasn’t – such a filthy business. It is sadder still when a politician noted for integrity, hard work and compassion becomes the subject of a barrage of lies and politically motivated vilification.

Reading some of the remarks about the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Kensington Victoria Borwick in the comments section of a recent article in The Steeple Times, I wondered whether the individual referenced could possibly be same person I have known for so many years.

Could I be prejudiced because I vote Tory? That is doubtful: I haven’t voted Tory for many a year. Maybe, it is because I don’t think I have the political agenda that those attacking Victoria seem to and maybe it is because I believe I actually take people as I find them.

Like many thousands of other residents, I have always found Victoria Borwick ready to help anyone at any time, irrespective of who they might be. Have those authoring these derogatory comments ever met her? I doubt it.

In a world of boring conformity Victoria stands out as her own person. Many will remember the time RBK&C proposed destroying Sloane Square. Victoria – a lady I’ve never known to use the title ‘Lady Borwick’ – stood side by side with residents to the detriment of her political career. It was made clear to her by the then leader of the council, the hideous Sir Merrick Cockell, she would be out in the cold for years to come.

If Victoria faces one criticism, in my view, it’s that she gets over-involved in cases where an overbearing council is bullying the weak. I particularly remember the case of an old soldier, living in the most terrible of conditions, with developers harassing him at every turn. Victoria fought for him like a lioness. She would even pop by to ensure he had food for the weekend.

On a separate but connected note, I have recently been advising a very bright young Conservative candidate (yes, I am politically indifferent). He is facing selection for a Midlands seat: one that overwhelmingly voted ‘Leave’. He, himself, was a dogged and campaigning ‘Remainer’. He asked me, if asked, whether he should deny the fact.

My question to him was this: “Are you, or are you not, a conviction politician?” He replied he hoped he was. He answered his own question, took his chance and got selected. So, integrity does count in politics.

Justin Downes is a resident of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. He has been a reader of The Steeple Times for a number of years.

The Steeple Times welcomes well-reasoned and contrasting contributions from readers on all subjects as long as they comply with our editorial guidelines. Should you wish to contact us in such regard, please email [email protected]

May 7, 2017
I Capture the Castle

12^th century castle and romantic ruin in Herefordshire for sale for £1.495 million; a title to go with it is available also

A part restored castle on the English-Welsh border is back on the market after its buyer pulled out at the end of last year. Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye at at Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire’s story somewhat echoes that of the fictional castle in the 1949 novel I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith – adapted to a film starring Bill Nighy and Henry Cavill in 2003 – and now, it presents an opportunity for someone wanting to own either a truly unique private home or somewhere to create a most romantic boutique hotel and events venue.

Now offered for £1.495 million ($1.94 million, €1.77 million or درهم7.12 million) and providing a total of 4,036 square foot of internal accommodation, Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye dates to the 12^th century but was largely destroyed in the English Civil War (1642 – 1651).

An aerial view of Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye, Wilton, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 6AD, United Kingdom with the River Wye beyond

The castle as a ruin

Kestrels are amongst those that make Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye their home

Subsequently abandoned until 1731, when bought by the trustees of Guy’s Hospital, the castle was bought by the legendary retail and property magnate Sir Charles Clore (1904 – 1979) in 1961 and then restored from 2002 onwards. It includes elements of architecture from the Norman, Tudor, Elizabethan, Georgian and Victorian periods and is Grade I listed Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Standing in 2 acres of gardens, primarily within the rampart walls themselves, the castle house comprises of 4 reception rooms, a galleried former chapel, 2 kitchens, 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. There are three original towers (out of the five originally built inside a now dry moat) and whilst two are already back in use, the third, ‘The Great Tower’ could potentially be converted to provide 3 bedroom suites, a new glass entrance and a drawbridge.

In March, of his eccentric home, current owner Alan Parslow told the Evening Standard: “It was a bit of a wreck when we bought it, but after ten years of restorations it’s a lovely family home. We’ve loved living here. It’s a delight to wake up to, surrounded by history”.

Of the future, Parslow added: “We haven’t enough money or time to do The Great Tower up so we’d like to pass it on to someone else”.

Previously, his wife, Sue, was interviewed by The Ross Gazette about the sale. She remarked: “It is quite different from other ruined castles as it is really a garden around a castle”.

Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye is on the market through Jackson-Stops & Staff. The title ‘Lord of Wilton Castle’ is available by separate negotiation.

Namesake Wilton Castle, Bree, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland has similarities in that it is also part-home, part-ruin

Curiously, an unconnected Irish castle of the same name, Wilton Castle in County Wexford has had a similarly chequered history. Built first in 1247, expanded into a mansion in 1847 and burnt to the ground in 1923, this vast landmark has, like its Ross-on-Wye namesake been subject of a major renovation project since 2004 by its owners, farmers Seán and Antoinette Windsor.

May 7, 2017
Jobbing Wine

A dream job for wine lovers; get paid to drink and drive your way across America

An Oregon winery is seeking a ‘Canbassador’ to join them on a roadtrip across America to hawk their range of wines – including their ‘pinot in a can’.

The Union Wine Company, founded by Ryan Harms in 2001 with the aim to create good wines at affordable prices, are looking for an individual to join them in their 1972 Citroën mobile wine bar as it tours US music festivals, store openings and outdoor events. The position encompasses 30-40 hours per week in terms of time commitment, 4-6 months per year and as Guest of a Guest reported last week, here is a chance to “drink and drive the legal way”.

Applicants must be over 21, be able to drive large, manual transmission vehicles with trailers and have good navigation skills. Naturally, they must also have “an appreciation for wine”. A salary is not specified on the company’s website but it will be “commensurate with experience”.

To apply, email [email protected]

May 7, 2017
Trumping a Visa

Kushner family exposed for promoting their links to the Trump presidency to flog flats (with visas) to Chinese investors

Yesterday, The Washington Post, in revealing that the Kushner family are hawking properties complete with investor visas, illustrated yet another appalling example of what is fast becoming the shadiest presidential dynasty in history.

According to the paper, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s sister, Nicole Kushner Meyer, was in Beijing on Saturday to promote a New Jersey apartment complex named Kushner 1 to “a ballroom full of wealthy Chinese investors”. The event, which had been promoted with a brochure tagged: “Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States”.

Of the way in which the Kushner family behaved, Richard Painter, former chief White House ethics lawyer in President George W. Bush’s administration remarked:

“It’s incredibly stupid and highly inappropriate. They clearly imply that the Kushners are going to make sure you get your visa… They’re [Chinese applicants] not going to take a chance. Of course they’re going to want to invest”.

Unsurprisingly, journalists found themselves evicted from the shindig. The Kushners’ reasoning? “The presence of foreign reporters threatened the ‘stability’ of the event. This is not the story we want”.

Pictured above (left to right): Nicole Kushner Meyer, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump Kushner and Donald Trump.

May 7, 2017
A Georgian Gem

Grade I listed Georgian mansion in Worcestershire for sale for the first time since the 1720s

Few houses remain in the ownership of the same family for three hundred years, but an example of such, Ombersley Court at Ombersley in Worcestershire, has just been placed on the market for £3.5 million ($4.5 million, €4.1 million or درهم16.7 million).

Designed and built for the 1^st Lord Sandys by the master builder Francis Smith of Warwick between 1723 and 1730, Ombersley Court was substantially alerted by the landscape architect John Webb in 1809. Grade I listed and featuring impressive entertaining spaces, the 27,449 square foot house comes with a 13,188 square foot Grade II* listed stable complex and 39 acres of land. A further 11 acres and a three bedroom cottage are available as separate lots.

Richard Michael Oliver Hill, 7th Baron Sandys of Ombersley (1942 – 2013) accompanying the Queen on her inspection of the Yeoman of the Guard

An image of Ombersley Court before the service extension that provided kitchen and staff accommodation (right) was demolished in 1964

Of Ombersley Court, Matthew Beckett of The Country Seat blog remarks:

“With the death of Lord Sandys in 2013 the house passed to Lady Sandys but following her recent death, concerns were raised and rebutted via letters in Country Life that this wonderful house would be forced (for complicated reasons) to become a care home; a fate which would have despoiled this jewel of a house. Instead, for the first time since it was built in 1724, it has been placed on the market. This is a house created by one of the finest craftsmen of the early-Georgian period, with connections to a wider, distinct Midlands architectural tradition which epitomises all that one would hope to see in a country seat”.

“As an important house which deserves respect, one hopes that the new owner will appreciate this remarkable situation and that perhaps the best approach would simply be to buy the house and contents and perhaps another couple hundred acres to truly secure an Arcadian ideal, one which would be hard to better anywhere in the country”.

The selling agents are Savills.

May 6, 2017
Jack Schlossberg (AKA John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg)

New York born, Yale educated Jack Schlossberg is the only grandson of JFK. The son of designer and artist Ed Schlossberg and former Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, Schlossberg co-founded ReLight New York, a non-profit organsiation that installed fluorescent lights in low-income housing developments, whilst at school and has expressed a desire to pursue a career in politics. In May 2017, he was interviewed on NBC Today and commented: “I’m inspired by my family’s legacy of public service. It’s something that I’m very proud of, but I’m still trying to make my own way, figure things out, so stay tuned”.

May 6, 2017
Michaella McCollum

Dopey drugs mule Michaella McCollum was one half of the ‘Peru Two’ jailed in 2013 for attempting to smuggle £1.5 million of cocaine to Spain with her friend Melissa Reid. Hailing from Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, shameless former model McCollum was pictured in a distinctive prison orange coloured outfit in May 2017 clutching a £2,000 Chanel handbag. This fame-seeking bleach blonde wastrel appeared to not have a care in the world and previously claimed: “I’m not a bad person… [But] I could have killed a lot of people”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgn1XjuahoE

May 6, 2017
A Glory in Green

Restored 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 to be sold at auction; it was built for “connoisseurs of sports cars not limited by financial considerations”

A left-hand drive 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 will be sold at auction this month. The stunning sporting coupé on offer was described by Autocar in 1953 as “a car of rare quality, unusual performance, exceptional road worthiness and unrivalled versatility” and an “an expensive car deigned to cater for the connoisseur of sports cars who is not limited by financial considerations”.

Presented in Deep Carriage Green with a beige interior and subject to a complete body-off restoration in 2009, this 2.9-litre Aston Martin is capable of 0-60mph in 10 seconds dead and is also potentially Mille Miglia eligible.

Silverstone Auctions have placed an estimate of £165,000 to £185,000 ($214,000 to $240,000, €195,000 to €218,000 or درهم787,000 to درهم882,000) on the vehicle. They will sell it at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire on 13^th May and of it comment:

“The guide price of this car is considerably less than the cost of finding, buying and restoring a ‘barn find’ with the huge advantage of being able to use and enjoy it immediately”.

May 6, 2017
Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’

As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?”

Last May, the acerbic Spectator columnist Taki wrote a brilliant opinion piece bemoaning the ghastly affair he believed New York’s Metropolitan Museum Gala had become. It perfectly summed up the vulgarity of an age where Kardashians have replaced Vanderbilt Sloanes and where Anna Wintour and her condescending ‘club’ have seized the mantle. This week, Primates of Park Avenue author Wednesday Martin took the debate one stage further and asked: “Is it time to say bye-bye to the black tie charity ball?” in an article for Town & Country magazine.

Whilst Martin quoted a “titan of finance” as saying: “No one really wants to attend a gala”, she also suggested that “showing up feels somehow retro, tangible, genuine”. Society is still forced into the routine of putting on black tie and parading out in both America and Britain yet in reality, everyone would most likely rather be down their local spit-and-sawdust.

Aside from the rubber chicken (and vomit inducing wine), the likelihood of being stuck with nine crushing bores and the inevitable raffle of rubbish, such affairs are now mostly the preserve of a club of Z-listers and desperados. At such gatherings, you’ll find trolleyed trailer trash like Dawn Ward of The Real Housewives of Cheshire clucking with titleless tosspot twits like David Furnish and each and every Friday’s ES Magazine bears testimony to this fact. The black tie bash deserves to come to its natural end, but what on earth will replace it?

The inevitable rent-a-crowd that now dominates at black tie gatherings in Britain these days is focused on daytime TV presenters and obscure reality wannabes

Tamara Ecclestone and husband Jay Rutland (pictured with Donna Air behind them) might be moneyed, but where’s the class?

Stephen Fry and husband Elliott Spencer are a duo willing to turn up to the opening of an envelope

If you really want to lower the tone, invite champagne swiller Dawn Ward and her ex-footballer husband

Alexa Chung is the ultimate guest if you want to make it to the ‘ES Magazine’s’ party pages (in spite of the fact she’s actually pretty pointless)

No party is complete without legendary crasher and shopping aficionado David Pun; last night he was spotted lingering outside the entrance to the opening night of the 2017 London Motor Show and given his antics he even has a Twitter account named in his honour

Anthea Turner and Grant Bovey used to host an annual ball in their garden; their marriage is now toast and the ball, for them at least, is most definitely over

May 5, 2017
A Kinky Car

1960 Bentley S2 currently owned by musician Sir Ray Davies to be auctioned; he wrote the hit song ‘Apeman’ on its back seat

A 1960 Bentley S2 owned but rarely used by Sir Ray Davies CBE – best known for hits with The Kinks that included You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night – is to be sold at auction in May.

Presented in unrestored condition after having been left in storage since 1991, the 6.2-litre car was purchased by the musician in 1970 and previously belonged to George Greenfield – agent to Enid Blyton, John le Carré, Sir Francis Chichester, Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE, Sir Rex Harrison, Sir Stirling Moss and David Niven.

Of the black with red leather interior car, the musician once remarked:

After success the success of ‘Lola’ I was persuaded by my family to invest in a big car, which was unusual for me because I did not drive. However, I succumbed to the pressure and purchased a second-hand Bentley from Hadleigh Green Garage in Barnet… My (then) wife drove it on my behalf because as I previously mentioned I was unable to drive.

We lived in a little semi in Muswell Hill and the neighbours were in shock and awe when they saw this huge black Bentley drive up along the narrow shingle path to the house. We subsequently went on a family holiday in the Bentley to Cornwall. While on our holiday in Mullion I sat in the back seat of the Bentley and wrote a follow up to Lola called ‘Apeman’ on the Spanish guitar which I carried in the back.

The Kinks used it in a photo shoot for the ‘Preservation’ album and it still exists in some old black and white footage of us posing as gangsters outside KONK studios.

When I moved to Surrey in the 1970s the car came down with me, I still could not drive and I was forty-four before I tried for my licence. It was occasionally taken out for special events like weddings and family outings. The Kinks took it on the road in England but the fans started writing on the car with lipstick and our (then) manager Ken Jones promptly retired my car to the garage.

Silverstone Auctions have placed an estimate of £25,000 to £30,000 ($32,000 to $39,000, €29,000 to €35,000 or درهم118,000 to درهم142,000) on the vehicle. They will sell it at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire on 13^th May.

Of the classic car, Arwel Richards of Silverstone Auctions told ClassicCars.com: “It is rare to auction a car direct from rock royalty, and this Bentley offers an incredible opportunity for rock ‘n roll fans and Bentley aficionados alike”.

May 4, 2017