Tag: wealth

A Sloane Home

Belgravia apartment for sale for £27.5 million in spite of being a 1980s timewarp; the Sloaney home forms part of a building at one-time home the residence of one half of Gilbert and Sullivan

A penthouse on the “favoured northern side” of Belgravia’s Eaton Square is on sale for £27.5 million ($36.6 million, €31 million or درهم134.5 million) in spite of not been refurbished or updated since the 1980s.

Part of a building that was the London home of Sir William Gilbert (1836 – 1911) – one half of the Victorian theatrical partnership Gilbert and Sullivan – from 1907 until his death, 90 Eaton Square now spans four buildings and is some 117-foot wide. Its penthouse sits on the fourth floor and extends to some 5,570 square foot.

Featuring 3 reception rooms, a study, 5 bedroom suites, a wine cellar, a terrace and 2 balconies, the vast property is described as having “unusually large picture windows at the front to take advantage of the superior southerly aspect, and a low front parapet wall, allowing superb views of the expansive Eaton Square communal gardens.” Images shown in a sales brochure for it show not only some rather serious works of modern art, but also 1980s ‘Sloane Ranger essentials’ including shagpile rugs, marble bathrooms and chrome-steel cantilever dining chairs.

Previously offered for £30 million ($39.9 million, €33.8 million or درهم146.6 million) by agents Savills, the penthouse at 90 Eaton Square is now currently being marketed by Strutt & Parker. It comes with a surprisingly long lease that expires in 2256.

October 16, 2017
More on Menéndez

As Lyle Menéndez creates a Facebook page about the case against him and his brother Erik, a juror contacts ‘The Steeple Times’ and brands their conviction for killing their wealthy parents “imperfect self-defence”

Renewed interest in the 1989 murders of the multi-millionaires José and Mary ‘Kitty’ Menéndez by their sons, Erik and Lyle, has accompanied NBC’s screening of their fascinating new eight-part Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders.

Consequently discussion has intensified and aside from Lyle Menéndez creating a Facebook page this month where interested parties can read about the slayings and the alleged abuse he and his brother were subjected to, a juror in the first trial contacted The Steeple Times to share her thoughts on the eventual outcome.

In an email to editor-in-chief Matthew Steeples, a juror in the first case brought against Erik Menéndez and author of Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror Hazel Thornton remarked:

We were given the choice of:

– First degree murder (what the men wanted)

– Second degree murder

– Voluntary manslaughter (what the women wanted)

– Involuntary manslaughter

It was widely reported that the women were 1) in love with the M brothers, 2) enamored with defense attorney Leslie Abramson (that part is true; I consider her to be a hero and am thrilled that LOTC [Law & Order True Crime] Menendez is focused on her character), 3) voting emotionally, not logically, and 4) too stupid to understand the jury instructions.

Also, that we wanted to let them go free. No one voted to acquit. Acquittal was not on the table. We didn’t even vote for Involuntary manslaughter.

But we did think the defense was strong enough that it may have happened exactly as they said –that they were in fear of their lives, rightly or wrongly, at the very moment of the killings. It’s called ‘imperfect self-defense’.

Elsewhere in today’s The Steeple Times, we interview Zach Tinker – the actor who plays Erik Menéndez’s classmate, Craig Cignarelli.

Lyle Menéndez (left) and Erik Menéndez (right) in prison photographs in more recent years

The brothers continue to allege they were abused by the wealthy parents they slayed, Kitty and José Menéndez

722 North Elm Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 – The home where the Menéndez brothers committed their crimes on 20th August 1989; the house had previously been the residence of both Elton John and Prince in years prior

A tweet by juror in first trial Hazel Thornton containing a Facebook post by Lyle Menéndez about his views on her book

Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders is available to watch in the UK on Sky Living and below an unedited Facebook post from Lyle Menéndez follows:

I thank my family for helping me with this page. I don’t have internet access so this site depends on them. I have been told that setting up this page will open me up to ridicule and criticism. That’s probably true, but it’s something I’m already used to. It is very hard to accept that sexual assault can be the punchline of jokes or the subject of ridicule, but it has occurred–to me–and to many others. If I am mocked for this page, the shame of that belongs on the mocker and not on me or anyone who shares their story here. There is, quite simply, nothing funny about child rape or other abuse.

The purpose of this page is not to debate the clearly wrong actions that I took. The purpose is to provide a safe place for people to talk about their similar experiences and find comfort in others who have suffered in silence in the same way. Those of us who have suffered abuse understand the healing power of sharing our experiences.

I have received thousands of letters from people all over the world who have heard about my experiences and connected with them or simply had empathy for me and my brother. When I first started to receive the letters, I answered every one. But, eventually, I became overwhelmed. Still – whether I answered them or not – I read all the letters and my heart ached for each person brave enough to share, and I was inspired by the strength it took every person to take pen to paper and pour out their hearts.

In fact, I testified every day at my trial in 1993 with a letter of an abuse survivor in my pants pocket to give me courage. The letters I receive to this day continue to give me courage and strength.

With the resurgence of interest in our case and the prevalence of social media, I’m now in a better position to be able to create a place for those of you who want to reach out to me. Even more, this format gives us all the opportunity to create a community of compassion, empathy, inspiration and strength. I hope you will share your stories here and that we can build something positive from something so negative. I hope that we can all be survivors, lift each other up when we need it, and show everyone that by supporting each other, we can not just survive but thrive.

If you write to me here, I will be read your posts, through my family, and I will respond sometimes. We can help each other. But this page is less about me and more about all of us helping each other. There is a community here. But please keep in mind that neither I nor anyone in my family is a professional counselor, therapist, or any type of professional equipped to deal with the psychological and/or emotional issues that child abuse causes. I will be offering my support and advice as a fellow sufferer and survivor and not as any type of expert.

Like I said, I do not have the internet. This site depends on my family. If you see an “-a” after a comment that means that the administrator is the one commenting. And many conversations will be started by the administrator.

One final note: I have heard that social media can be the opposite of what I just described. Please know that hateful posts will not be approved and hurtful/hateful comments will be deleted by an administrator. Let’s make this a safe space.

For more information Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror about by Hazel Thornton, click here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVcw6H2MA8E

October 16, 2017
A Base in Bayswater

Two bedroom flat in Bayswater for sale for £12 million; it does come with two parking spaces and décor that harks back to the era of Laura Ashley

A leasehold flat in Hyde Park Gardens, London, W2 has gone on sale for the staggering sum of £12 million ($15.9 million, €13.5 million or درهم58.6 million) in spite of having just two bedrooms.

Admittedly, however, the first floor property offered by agents Aylesford is anything but ordinary. It extends to some 3,502 square foot across two period buildings and includes three vast reception rooms with ceiling heights of in excess of 13-feet.

Part of a building used as an auxiliary hospital for officers between 1916 and 1919, the flat also has two balconies, two off-street parking spaces and enjoys views across Hyde Park.

October 15, 2017
Zach Tinker – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with American actor and star of NBC’s ‘Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders’ Zach Tinker

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

My gut and my heart.

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

“Kill ‘em with kindness.”

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?

To be frank, I had no idea who Kerry Katona is so I looked her up. I also searched “Kerry Katona 2007,” but couldn’t find anything besides some stuff about her being on drugs and held up at knifepoint: I feel like I’m getting off track here.

I would say bigotry is unacceptable in 2017. It’s a distraction. There is so much going on right now that could end really badly and that’s where our focus should be, not on looking for someone else to blame because of their colour or gender or religion.

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

Only at certain times, but I miss being a little kid: Ignorance is bliss.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

More wealth. I’m kidding: Probably the ability to fly.

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 state of the financial system?

I am probably not the one to ask: I’m 23 and just starting to deal with the state of my own economy. But it seems logical that the world is a better place if more people can participate, when we all feel like we have a stake in the outcome.

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

“The proof is in the pudding” – I’ve never understood what the hell that means. On a more positive and sort of related note,my favourite word is “goop.”

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

I think: “Charity begins at need” – That seems more relevant, especially with the horrible string of natural disasters that have occurred around the world recently.

From elementary school through college, charity and volunteering was built in to the education curriculum, so that made it easy and I was very involved in with Camp Harmony. It is a well-run programme to support under privileged children from inner cities, the homeless and troubled families. They host summer camps, winter camps, holiday events, do food drives, back to school drives, support mentorships… I volunteered there for five or six years and it’s one of the most incredible and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Sadly, I haven’t been very active in that community for the past few years because of my schedule, but to anyone living in Los Angeles, I couldn’t recommend the programme enough.

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?

If the question is: “What is my view on the appropriate use of cell phones that explode?” I would probably say, never. They are crazy dangerous, plus I heard their network coverage is terrible.

When it comes to regular old mobile phones, I think in general, just don’t be a dick. I know that sounds flip, but most of us know when phone use is not okay: Don’t text and drive; don’t talk on the phone in a movie theatre and don’t FaceTime at a funeral.

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

Michael Jordan, Lincoln, Marlon Brando, Will Smith, Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Eminem, MLK, Louis CK, Dave Chappelle and my mother’s father. He passed away when my mom was seven and I’d like to meet him and say thank you.

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

A bucket of Ben & Jerry’s half-baked half-twisted ice cream, my grandma’s Italian chicken cutlets, a jar of Skippy Peanut Butter, a box of Captain Crunch Berries with 2% milk, a PB&J sandwich on whole wheat, and a slice of Susie Cakes’ red velvet cake for dessert. Oh, and a big bottle of lemon-lime Gatorade to wash it down. I would eat it in prison, presumably, since I’m on death row.

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

I don’t drink regularly, but that’s mostly about fitness. I’m not judging, but first thing after you wake up is probably not the best idea. Otherwise, sometimes a drink is just what the doctor ordered; I get it.

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

Tea, but I’ll need two packs of Stevia in there first.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

Small ones: I like when gatherings are intimate, where I can have conversations with people and get to know them.

Who is the most positive person you know?

Probably my step-dad, Ken Karman.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

The TV show My Strange Addiction. That show is insane. All those kinds of shows: Intervention, Cops, etc. They’re trash TV, I know, but God are they entertaining to watch.

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

Hmmm… A piece of chocolate candy, maybe: Sweet with a slightly hard exterior and a soft and gooey inside.

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

I’d like to say a Ferrari or Lambo, but I’m probably more like a 2005 Mazda Miata or something.

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

I almost bit my own tongue off as a child and had to have it sewn back on while conscious and awake.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

There is no actual mantelpiece in my tiny studio apartment, but I do have out on display an award my grandfather received from the NBC television network, a book about Marlon Brando, the graphic novel, Watchmen and a bottle of acne medication (left that out, unintentionally).

Actor Zach Tinker was born in New York in 1994 into a family of directors, writers and producers. He is the first of his family to work in front of the camera and currently appears in the NBC series ‘Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders’ as Craig Cignarelli, a classmate of Erik Menéndez .

Follow Zach Tinker on Twitter at @ZachTinker and on Instagram at @zach_atticus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVcw6H2MA8E

October 15, 2017
Commie Ferraris

Protestors descend on H.R. Owen Ferrari dealership in South Kensington screaming: “Kill the Rich!”

On Saturday afternoon a bunch of protestors held a protest outside the Brompton Road Ferrari dealership H.R. Owen.

Seemingly something to do with rights for cleaners, the assembled ragbag waved Communist flags and shouted: “Kill the rich!” and “Fight back!” Aside from banners about dirt, the mop wielding mob displayed a banner declaring: “Class war: We must devastate the avenues where the wealthy live” and proceeded to block the street for over half an hour.

As security guards and officers of the law descended, a near neighbour of the showroom told The Steeple Times: “The police couldn’t do anything as they told me there were not enough of them to stop these despicable people blocking the road. It’s awful and I am afraid that they’ll smash the windows and trash the beautiful cars.”

Elsewhere, on social media, organisers of the gathering shared posts that declared: “Sack us and we’ll shut you down!” and urged participants to: “Bring your noise and anger.”

September 30, 2017
A Bastard of a Basement

Knightsbridge townhouse for sale for sum 11% lower than it sold for in 2011; it comes with a rather large hole in the garden that has been described as “almost as deep as the Führerbunker”

To the poet and wit Henry Luttrell (1765 – 1861) “eating pâté de foie gras to the sound of trumpets” was his idea of heaven. Now, a very wealthy buyer has the opportunity to acquire what some might consider the very opposite of such with the sale of his former home – complete with a 4-storey hole in its garden – in Knightsbridge.

Empty for many years and the subject of numerous critical articles about its dereliction in such titles as the Mirror and Daily Mail, Grade II listed 31 Brompton Square is on the market for £3 million less than it sold for in 2011. It was previously reportedly owned by the industrialist Lord Tanlaw and was also in the possession of the High Commission of Malaysia at some point.

Fraudster Achilleas Kallakis was undoubtedly the most controversial owner of the building

Philanthropists Dora and Mary de Beer (pictured with Esmond de Beer) were certainly more civilised residents

Baron Tanlaw of Tanlawhill reportedly owned the house for a period also

Aside from being home to the philanthropist sisters Dora and Mary de Beer (owners of the house between 1934 and 1981) and the Conservative Party politician the Hon. Michael Astor in addition, most controversially the property was bought by the now jailed businessman Achilleas Kallakis in the mid 2000s.

Kallakis – who in spite of demanding he be called ‘His Excellency’ and ‘The Don’ was actually simply “Britain’s biggest mortgage fraudster” – began work on a scheme to create what he termed a “pleasure palace” at 31 Brompton Square in 2005. He employed contractors to dig four levels down beneath what had been a pretty garden and commenced both authorised and unauthorised works to create what could still ultimately become a 22,000 square foot, 8-floor “trophy home.”

Construction stopped in 2008 after Kallakis’ arrest and in 2011, 31 Brompton Square was sold for £8 million more than sought to a Virgin Islands based company by receivers acting for Barclays Wealth. Said by locals to actually be owned at that time by a Dubai based businessman named Jonathan Hart, further planning schemes were submitted in October 2016 and now agents Savills seek £25 million for the unfinished building.

Of the sale, one near neighbour told The Steeple Times:

“This bastard of a basement has blighted this area of Knightsbridge for far too long.”

“We have feared subsidence might cause the hole to cave in since 2005 and now hope a new owner will rectify the mess left by the conman Kallakis. We simply want to be able to live out our years in peace and would like a nice, quiet family rather than a brash billionaire be the purchasers.”

31 Brompton Square – The Numbers

September 2017 – For sale for £25 million ($33.9 million, €28.4 million or درهم125 million).

June 2016 – Predicted to be worth £50 million ($67.8 million, €56.9 million or درهم249 million) if iceberg extension were to be completed.

March 2011 – Sold for £28 million ($38 million, €31.9 million or درهم139.5 million) after a bidding war on an asking price of £20 million ($27.1 million, €22.7 million or درهم99.6 million).

An aerial view of the giant hole behind 31 Brompton Square

A closer view of the dormant site

The front elevation of 31 Brompton Square

A proposed floor plan for the building

A CGI image of a proposed design for a reception room within the existing building

A CGI image of a proposed design for a reception space in the proposed extension of the house

A CGI image of a proposed design for a reception space backing onto the garden

A CGI image of a proposed design for a swimming pool within the extension

A CGI image of the proposed garden

Another view of the space

A drawing of the proposed redevelopment

September 25, 2017
Pauline Amos – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with Liverpool born artist Pauline Amos; one of her works is for sale for £1.3 million

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

Myself.

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

“If you hesitate, you’ve lost.”

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?

Abū Bakr al-Baghdadi.

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

My dad.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

Ending cruelty to animals and children.

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 state of the financial system?

A disgrace.

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

Trump.

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

Being charitable is being a good human being. I support Coram children’s charity, Stop Ivory, the RNLI and charities that support war veterans.

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?

Use if necessary.

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

Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, Stephen Fry, Oscar Wilde, my husband, my dogs, Hunter S. Thompson and Maya Angelou.

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

Caviar. On the outside.

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

Blackwell Rum on porridge for breakfast. Every hour is acceptable.

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

A martini.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

My own: I choose the guests and the music.

Who is the most positive person you know?

Myself.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

Charbonnel & Walker salt caramel chocolates.

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

An angel.

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

A Bentley Land Rover hybrid.

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

One of my paintings is on sale for £1.3 million.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

Two silver candlesticks, some invitations and a sign that reads: “Scouse and Proud.”

Born in Liverpool, Pauline Amos is a creative performance painting artist with a unique style of work combining painting, performance and music. Amos has a PhD from Dartington College of Arts and has drawn international acclaim for her provocative, powerful and bold works.

Follow Pauline Amos on Twitter at @paulineamos99 and like her page on Facebook by clicking here.

September 20, 2017
A Big House

Vast Georgian village house in Oxfordshire for sale for £4.25 million

A Grade II* listed, mid-18^th century village house in Adderbury, Oxfordshire has just gone on sale for £4.25 million ($5.74 million, €4.79 million or درهم21.10 million) after fifty years in the same family.

Providing a total of 11,290 square foot of accommodation and including 5 reception rooms, a 38-foot long kitchen, 4 cellar rooms, 10 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, Cross Hill House is built of Horton stone and has a Welsh slate roof. It is described as being of “the mid-Georgian style” and as “a big house” by Country Life’s Penny Churchill.

Formerly owned by Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Everard Du Cane Norris (1869 – 1960), Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire in 1939 and a significant freehold property owner in Hackney, London until the 1930s, the house comes with 5.98 acres of formal and informal gardens, 2 Victorian walled gardens and 3 large garages.

Cross Hill House – which is 3 miles from Banbury and 18 miles from Oxford – is listed by Damian Gray of Knight Frank LLP.

September 19, 2017
A Caged Crib

Former San Francisco home of actor Nicolas Cage for sale for £11.4 million or 660% more than it sold for in 1996

Thrice married and an Academy Award winning actor Nicolas Cage is also known for lavish spending. Aside from once buying twenty-two cars in one hit – including a “squadron” of nine Rolls-Royce – he “wound up” owning fifteen personal residences in 2007 and now one of them is for sale for £11.4 million.

898 Francisco Street in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighbourhood was purchased by a trust connected to Cage in 2006 for £6.9 million and sold by him in 2008 at a loss for £6.3 million. It was built in Gothic Tudor style in 1914, extends to 6,305 square foot and is spread over four floors.

The front door is an example of fine craftmanship within the house

As is the carving on this fireplace

Featuring 4 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, the house also has a 2-car garage and enjoys views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the Bay Area. It has a garden to the rear and is adjoined by a further adjacent plot on Hyde Street that has potential for a further residence.

Debi Dicello of Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing and seeks either a total of £11.4 million for the entire property or £8.8 million for the main house and £2.6 million for the adjacent 40-foot by 60-foot lot.

898 Francisco Street – The Numbers

2017 – £8.8 million ($12 million, €10 million or درهم44.1 million) for the main house plus £2.6 million ($3.5million, €2.9 million or درهم12.9 million) for the adjoining plot.

2008 – Sold for £6.3 million ($8.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم31.2 million).

2006 – Bought by a trust connected to Nicolas Cage for £6.9 million ($9.4 million, €7.9 million or درهم34.5 million).

1996 – Sold for £1.5 million ($2 million, €1.7 million or درهم7.4 million).

September 17, 2017
A Cheap Mansion

Part refurbished Irish Georgian stately home for sale for just £136,000; it was originally built by the Fry family

What could be one of the cheapest Georgian stately homes ever has been placed on the market for just £136,000 ($179,000, €150,000 or درهم658,000).

Three storey, five bay, mid-18^th century Frybrook House in the centre of the town of Boyle in County Roscommon, Ireland – the birthplace of Maureen O’Sullivan (Jane in the Tarzan movies) – stands in 3 acres of land beside the River Boyle

Frybrook House appeared to be in much better condition externally in the early 2000s

Described recently by The Times as a “hot stately home,” the 8 bedroom, 8 bathroom mansion was built for Henry Fry, a merchant from Somerset, after he established a weaving operation on the site in the 1740s. It was run as a bed and breakfast in the early 2000s and last offered on the open market for £309,000 – with additional land and properties – in 2015.

Period features include fine restored plasterwork, original cornicing, window shutters, marble fireplaces and roll top baths and though the property appears to be in some state of disrepair and dereliction, it is described as “partly restored and refurbished.” Sadly, pictures also show the setting is somewhat spoilt by a modern industrial building to the rear.

Frybrook House is listed by REA Seamus Carthy.

Frybrook House – The Numbers

September 2017 – £136,000 ($179,000, €150,000 or درهم658,000) with 3 acres of land and various outbuildings.

July 2015 – £309,000 ($406,000, €340,000 or درهم1.5 million) with 6 acres of land, 4 houses on an adjoining street and a “period building” housing a café.

September 11, 2017