The Steeple Times

Tag: W1

  • Overheard – 31st March

    Overheard – 31st March

    Clangers overheard and snippets spotted by readers of ‘The Steeple Times’

     

    Ferry & Yah

    A PR maven at the Chiltern Firehouse loudly spoke into her mobile. She speedily told the person at the other end of the line: “Bryan Ferry is amazing. Yah. Super yah… I saw his son in 5 Hertford Street. That was a triple yah… Becks and I had such a laugh coming up in the car. That was a yah, a cheers and yah… I didn’t try and talk to Bryan Ferry’s son. That wouldn’t be a yah”. She put the phone down, quaffed her cocktail and dialled her next yah-ing victim.

     

    Milton to Walton

    At the bar of The Enterprise in Walton Street, Chelsea, a chubby woman from the Midlands summoned a waitress. She exclaimed: “I want a table now. Outside. This is war. I want one now. Who do those bloody people sat there think they are? We’ve come all the way from Milton Keynes”. Another customer mumbled: “We’d rather you go back there”.

     

    Storming Doris

    “What is it with these storms?” asked a middle-aged estate agent at the bar of the since closed restaurant La Brasserie in Brompton Road, SW3. His equally bright friend answered: “Storm Doris: I thought it was a terrorist incident”.

     

    Blairing Blackpool

    At lunch at Sexy Fish in Berkeley Square, W1, a pair of businessmen debated their worst ever mistakes. The winner? “I paid £1,500 to meet Tony Blair’s son for lunch once. What a waste. I wish I’d bought a flight to Blackpool instead”.

     

    A Need for Pecorino

    “Pecorino, I need some Pecorino”, remarked a woman with an expensive looking pram in a deli in Marylebone. An elderly gent tapped her on the shoulder and asked: “Who do you and your kid think you are? Wallace and Bloody Gromit?”

     

    The Richness of Wholefoods

    On Facebook, Matthew Cranwell posted: “When I see a rich bitch in Wholefoods, I pretend I need help and ask: ‘Excuse me, do you work here?’ Just to keep things real”.

     

    Submit comments you hear to [email protected]. We publish amusing and ridiculous chatter we receive and sometimes we change names and locations to protect the identities of the vain and the vacuous.

     

  • Not So Roomy

    Not So Roomy

    Small, single room in South Kensington to be sold for £150,000 at auction

     

    A single room in South Kensington is to be auctioned for the staggering sum of £150,000 ($184,000, €172,000 or درهم675,000).

     

    Curiously offered with a “reserve price not to exceed” that sum, the 205 square foot space is on the lower ground floor of 30 Queen’s Gate Gardens and held on a lease with 113 years remaining. It can be accessed from the main ground floor or entrance or via the lower ground floor entrance, has an external window and appears to have a rather large hole bashed in one of its walls.

     

    Auctioneers Allsop will sell what could be one of the most expensive cupboards in London on 30th March at The Cumberland Hotel in Great Cumberland Place, W1H. The agents emphasise a key selling point in stating: “There is no liability towards the building’s insurance or service charge” with this property.

     

  • Lee Brahim Murray-Lamrani (AKA ‘Lightning Lee’ and ‘The Stopwatch’)

    Lee Brahim Murray-Lamrani (AKA ‘Lightning Lee’ and ‘The Stopwatch’)

    The “mastermind of Britain’s biggest cash robbery”, “from the streets kid” and “scary son of a b**ch” Lee Murray was born in Greenwich and nicknamed (much to his displeasure) ‘The Alien’ by fellow members of what was known as the ‘Buttmarsh Boys’ gang. He “liked punching people almost at random in the street”, turned to crime in his teens and most notably received a sentence of twenty-five years in prison in 2010 for his part in the robbery of £53 million ($64.6 million, €61.1 million or درهم 237.4 million) in cash from a Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent in 2006.

     

    After what many called “the crime of avarice of the decade”, 6’3” tall Murray – a one-time rising star mixed martial arts fighter and “friend and rival” of Katie Price’s ex-husband Alex Reid – fled to Morocco (where his father had been born and attempted to claim nationality to avoid British justice) but was convicted of drugs offences in Rabat in 2007. A bid to return him to Britain in exchange for a suspected terrorist wanted in regard to the 2003 Casablanca bombings later came to nothing.

     

    In 2011, “caged cage fighter” Murray – who is said to have fathered a child “by a woman visitor who was not his wife” inside Salé prison and was put in “the hole” for six months due to being caught with a laptop computer in his cell – was amazingly able to give an interview via text message from his cell to the Middle Easy website. In it, he claimed being in a Moroccan jail is “better than being in a UK prison any day”, thanked those who’d created ‘Free Lee Murray’ T-shirts (but claimed he’d only instead wear one saying: ‘Free OJ’) and stated: “I have no regrets on any part of my life, the way I lived my life has made me the man I am today I’ve done a lot of things a lot of other people would regret but I don’t think you should regret anything in life, just learn from it instead”.

     

    Less than half the money stolen by Murray and his associates has ever been found and still to this day the former drug dealer, when asked, is said to state: “I was a millionaire before that heist, my friend”.

     

  • Reader Offer – 20% Discount at Pickett

    Reader Offer – 20% Discount at Pickett

    20% discount at luxury goods retailer Pickett this Christmas

     

    Readers of The Steeple Times can get 20% discount off full-priced items at luxury good retailer Pickett until 24th December.

     

    Reader Offer – 20% Discount at Pickett – 20% discount at luxury goods retailer Pickett this Christmas

     

    To redeem the offer online or in-store, quote ‘PI16’.

     

    Pickett, 10 – 12 Burlington Gardens, London, W1S 3EY.

     

    Pickett, 149 Sloane Street, SW1X 9BZ.

     

  • Partnering With Pickett

    Partnering With Pickett

    Kathryn Fensterstock reports on a party to celebrate Pickett’s new partnership with the Mayor’s Fund for London

     

    On 16th November, to mark becoming an official charity partner of the Mayor’s Fund for London, Pickett hosted a drinks reception and raffle in Mayfair’s Burlington Gardens.

     

    Guests, including Sotheby’s director Joanna Booth, Cristina Maxson, the Mail on Sunday’s Alexis Parr and Matthew Steeples of The Steeple Times, enjoyed generous measures of gin and wine at the behest of Trevor Pickett before learning about the work the Mayor’s Fund for London does for the city and their plans for 2017.

     

    Partnering With Pickett – Kathryn Fensterstock reports on a party to celebrate Pickett’s new partnership with the Mayor’s Fund for London
    Matthew Patten chats with another guest
    Partnering With Pickett – Kathryn Fensterstock reports on a party to celebrate Pickett’s new partnership with the Mayor’s Fund for London
    Alexis Parr and Trevor Pickett enjoying some serious G&Ts
    Partnering With Pickett – Kathryn Fensterstock reports on a party to celebrate Pickett’s new partnership with the Mayor’s Fund for London
    Pickett backgammon boards

     

    In a heartfelt manner, Trevor Pickett and Matthew Patten shared a few words on why social mobility for young Londoners is so important and where their inspiration comes from.

     

    Trevor Pickett is passionate about nurturing talent in young people having learnt from hands-on experience himself. He is eager to support the Mayor’s Fund for London as he sees the unmistakable value in providing children with the key skills to climb the career ladder, gain confidence and improve their livelihood, just as the Mayor’s Fund for London does. Pickett looks forward to offering ongoing support to the charity for the foreseeable future as he has also done with Ormiston Families for the past twenty years.

     

    Matthew Patten, chief executive of the Mayor’s Fund for London told a packed room:

     

    “We are delighted to be an official charity partner of Pickett. Many young Londoners, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are not aware of all the opportunities that London has to offer. As the founder of a London-based handmade leather goods business, Trevor Pickett recognises the importance of aspiration and acquiring the skills needed so that all Londoners make the most of living in the greatest city on earth”.

     

    Pickett, 10 – 12 Burlington Gardens, London, W1S 3EY.

     

    To support the Mayor’s Fund for London at Christmas this year, Pickett will give a 15% donation to the charity on all purchases in-store and online. Quote the code ‘MFL15’.

     

    American born Kathryn Fensterstock is based in London and is part of the team at the leading marketing company Zambuni. Follow her on Twitter at @kjfensterstock.

     

  • A Soho Secret

    A Soho Secret

    Matthew Steeples meets Christopher Flourentzou, a little-known tailor but one well worth knowing

     

    There are tailors and then there’s Christopher Flourentzou. Described as a “master of copying a pattern” by the well-known hairstylist Luke Hersheson and originally from Liopetri, Cyprus, this talented Soho craftsman has made suits for many a Savile Row firm.

     

    Charging around half the price of the Mayfair institutions he’s worked for (at an average of around £2,500 for a suit compared to say Huntsman’s £7,500 average), Flourentzou operates from a tiny space in Berwick Street, W1 and claims to have “never been a single day without work”.

     

    His most enjoyable time, he remarks, was working with Morris Angel of the world’s longest established costume suppliers Angels Costumes: “I love making period clothing and working with this 176-year old firm taught me so much”.

     

    Flourentzou’s client list numbers royalty, business titans, diplomats, politicians and pop stars and though he’s naturally discreet about their names, this talented gent’s focus is creating garments that “fit like a glove and are proportionately balanced to complement the client”. He concludes: “My style is all about the individual” and with that, he is straight back to work at his cutting table.

     

    Christopher Flourentzou, 1st Floor, 72 Berwick Street, London, W1F 8TD. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7439 1633.

     

  • Slumping Super-Prime

    Slumping Super-Prime

    Sales of super-prime properties in the UK fall by 86%

     

    Yesterday, the property group London Central Portfolio released data that showed that sales of £10 million-plus properties in the UK had fallen 86% over the past year.

     

    Blaming hefty Stamp Duty increases and Brexit uncertainty, the firm reported that just 5 “super-prime” properties had changed hands between June and August compared to a recorded 35 a year earlier. All of the sales in the period this year were in Central London whilst such properties accounted for just 30% of the figure in the year previous.

     

    Top-end developers, whose sales accounted for 23% of the figure in 2015, were especially affected. They made zero sales in this price bracket in the period and now, according to Naomi Heaton, CEO of LCP, they are reworking their developments to create smaller, cheaper units.

     

    Slumping Super Prime – Sales of super prime properties in the UK slump 86% in 2016 due to Stamp Duty hikes and Brexit uncertainty reports the London Central Portfolio property group – October 2016
    Citygrove Securities PLC and McClaren Properties’ The Clearings development in Chelsea’s Milner Street is being reworked to include fewer super-prime properties

     

    Of this, Ms Heaton commented:

     

    “Many [developers are] looking to divide large, high-priced property into smaller flats to increase their attractiveness”.

     

    Examples given by LCP include Clivedale’s Hanover Square development – where the scheme is being reworked to create four times as many units – and Citygrove Securities PLC and McClaren Properties’ The Clearings development in Chelsea’s Milner Street – where seven townhouses will be replaced with smaller properties.

     

    Speaking more generally, Ms Heaton – who predicts the consequences of this development will be a £45 million fall in Stamp Duty receipts to the government – added:

     

    “This slowdown in the luxury property market—a big contributor for the Exchequer and UK economy—is very concerning. As the government faces the daunting task of negotiating Brexit together with a potential slowdown in the UK economy, it should consider its strategy on residential-property taxation carefully to ensure it meets its objectives of increasing revenues”.

     

    Stamp Duty on a £6 million property was £420,000 under the old system; it is now £633,750. On a £2 million property it was £100,000; it’s now £153,750 whilst in addition buyers of second homes and investment properties now have to pay an additional 3% surcharge also.

     

  • Nuno Goncalves – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    Nuno Goncalves – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    A 20-question interview with executive chef Nuno Goncalves of 12 Hay Hill in London’s Mayfair

     

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

    I am as stubborn as you can get. If I set my mind to something, I won’t stop until I achieve it. It’s what keeps me going.

     

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

    Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today; life is too short for time wasting.

     

    Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2016?

    Boris Johnson leading the Leave campaign: It was clearly part of his political game to get to 10 Downing Street.

     

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

    A social life: It’s what you sign up for when you become a chef.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    A tranquil and peaceful life, surrounded by family, good friends, good food and, of course, good wine.

     

    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?

    Over-optimistic greedy bankers lending to over-optimistic under-achievers.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    Ignorance.

     

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

    In my opinion it is everyone’s social and moral responsibility to help the less fortunate when possible. I support the British Heart Foundation; they are a fantastic organization helping people with heart disease all over the UK.

     

    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?

    They are a necessity in modern life, but at the same time reduce their user’s awareness of what surrounds them. Mankind is becoming a prisoner of its own evolution.

     

    Nuno Goncalves – What’s on your mantelpiece?
    Nuno Goncalves

     

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

    My wife, son, close friends and family, my team, Boris Johnson, Jeremy Clarkson, Barrack Obama and Donald Trump.

     

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

    Probably my wife’s spaghetti Bolognese at home.

     

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

    Whatever time it’s necessary to get you through the day.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    Coffee.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    As long as there is a party, I’m not really bothered.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    Probably me.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Chocolate and wine: In that order.

     

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

    Probably an atomic bomb mushroom cloud, but you do not want me to go off.

     

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

    A Mercedes-Benz.

     

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

    Hard on the outside but soft on the inside.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    A portrait of my wife and I; it reminds me of how we used to be. Time flies.

     

    Nuno Goncalves was born in Portugal and grew up in Toronto. He has worked at the Corinthia Hotel and Galvin at Windows and is now executive head chef of Shaun Rankin’s London restaurants and oversees the dining room at business members’ club 12 Hay Hill in Mayfair, London.

     

    Follow him on Instagram at @nunogoncalves84.

     

     

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  • Mary Millington (marital name Mary Maxted, born Mary Quilter, 1945 – 1979)

    Mary Millington (marital name Mary Maxted, born Mary Quilter, 1945 – 1979)

    Mary Millington (marital name Mary Maxted, born Mary Quilter, 1945 – 1979)Defined as “wanting it and wanting as much as she could get”, tragic English model and pornographic actress Mary Millington “loved money more than anything else”. (more…)

  • Lawrence Van Hagen

    Lawrence Van Hagen

    Art curator Lawrence Van HagenBig haired art curator and international jetsetter Lawrence Van Hagen is based in London and Paris. (more…)