The Steeple Times

Tag: wealth

  • Adrien Gaubert – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    Adrien Gaubert – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    A 20-question interview with Adrien Gaubert, award-winning co-founder of myGwork – an inclusive LGBTI recruitment hub

     

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

    Positivity and fun. I am grateful to be alive and able to do what I do. Enjoy every moment.

     

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

    Just be yourself, be honest and work towards a goal. You’ll achieve it.

     

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

    Bashar al-Assad.

     

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

    I miss living in China. I am a great fan of Chinese culture and their way of thinking.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    To give food and shelter to everyone.

     

    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?

    Our financial system protects the wealthy and has given up on the poor.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    “God wants” – I don’t believe, if there were such a thing as God, he would expect anything from humanity.

     

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

    Whenever someone asks me for a coin in the street, I give them a smile and give them what they have asked for. I believe such people are incredible brave to ask others for help and comfort. I personally support anyone in need without distinction or judgement. I never buy sandwiches for homeless people when they ask for cash even if they might use it to buy alcohol or drugs. If I were living on the street, I might also want to get high so as to forget about my situation.

     

    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?

    Your microwave could explode anytime, but you use it everyday. I believe mobile phones are a great communication tool and I would not give mine up.

     

    myGwork co-founder Adrien Gaubert – What’s on your mantelpiece?

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

    I would take my brothers, my mum and my grandma and grandpa (with whom I watched the movie adapted from the Agatha Christie novel when I was a child).

     

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

    I would eat some really spicy Sichuan food.

     

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

    12pm if it is summer and a holiday. 7pm during the week.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    If it is just one, then tea but if I get more than one, martinis.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    Mexican weddings. Those people clearly know how to celebrate.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    Probably me.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Cigarettes.

     

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

    I have no tattoos and I am not a fan of them as a form of expression. Personally, I would not get a tattoo to remember who or what I love.

     

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

    A Jaguar. They are safe and fashionable.

     

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

    I have a twin brother.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    Flowers.

     

    Adrien Gaubert is a 29-year old Frenchman who now lives in London. He co-founded myGwork, a networking and recruitment platform to promote diversity for LGBTI professionals and graduates, with his twin brother, Pierre.

     

    Follow the Gaubert twins on Instagram at @thegaubertwins

     

  • The Busy Borwicks

    The Busy Borwicks

    Son of Kensington MP Lady Borwick’s curious connections to the people who ensured both Brexit and the election of Donald Trump revealed

     

    On Sunday, Carole Cadwalladr of  The Observer published a lengthy and well researched article that, amongst other things, examined the connections between The Hon. Thomas Borwick – the son of the Conservative hereditary peer The Rt. Hon. The Lord Borwick and Kensington’s Member of Parliament Lady ‘Call me Victoria’ Borwick – and the controversial US hedge fund titan and backer of Donald Trump, Robert Mercer.

     

    A director of a multitude of companies, in spite of being just 29 years old, “new media expert” Thomas Borwick – whose mother was forced to apologise “after using City Hall resources to promote her husband’s [now defunct] electric vehicle business” in 2009 – it now transpires, was not only Vote Leave’s chief technology officer but previously worked with SCL/Cambridge Analytica and AggregateIQ. Borwick currently touts himself to his 202 followers on Twitter as the founder of a political canvasing consultancy named Kan.to, an organisation that he boldy claims “will out-organise, out-plan, out-leaflet, out-twitter, out-work and out-vote all of its opponents”.

     

    Mercer, one of the owners of the far-right Breitbart News Network as well as being a major shareholder in Cambridge Analytica, is a man whose “sinister” connections to both Trump and Nigel Farage have rightly been widely criticised. On that basis, that the son of fervent Brexiteer Lady Borwick – a woman whose constituents voted 69% to ‘Remain’ and whose domain was home to a greater proportion of EU nationals than any other London borough in 2016 – has links to this billionaire and his activities should only encourage the voters of Kensington to ditch her and her out-of-touch party.

     

    We urge Kensington based readers to support Annabel Mullin of the Liberal Democrats on 8th June. This principled lady is the only person who can realistically unseat Lady Borwick and she is the only candidate who will support the beliefs the majority in this constituency continue to hold dear.

     

    #DumpLadyBorwick #VoteAnnabelMullin

     

  • Pete Cashmore (AKA ‘The Sage of Media’)

    Pete Cashmore (AKA ‘The Sage of Media’)

    Born in Banchory, Aberdeenshire in 1985, Pete Cashmore founded Mashable, a “one-stop-shop” digital media news and blogging site, in his bedroom in 2005 with the aim of “changing the world”. The firm now has over 120 employees, is based in New York and has 9 million followers on Twitter and achieves over 45 million unique views per month. He was once described as “one of the most influential voices of his generation – on and offline” and was also called “more than just a superb head of hair” by Hearst’s Town & Country magazine in 2016.

     

  • Jack Schlossberg (AKA John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg)

    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”.

     

     

  • A Glory in Green

    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 13th 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”.

     

    A Glory in Green – 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 – Silverstone Auctions will sell the car with an estimate of £165,000 to £185,000 ($214,000 to $240,000, €195,000 to €218,000 or درهم787,000 to درهم882,000) at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire on 13th May 2017A Glory in Green – 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 – Silverstone Auctions will sell the car with an estimate of £165,000 to £185,000 ($214,000 to $240,000, €195,000 to €218,000 or درهم787,000 to درهم882,000) at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire on 13th May 2017 A Glory in Green – 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 – Silverstone Auctions will sell the car with an estimate of £165,000 to £185,000 ($214,000 to $240,000, €195,000 to €218,000 or درهم787,000 to درهم882,000) at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire on 13th May 2017 A Glory in Green – 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 – Silverstone Auctions will sell the car with an estimate of £165,000 to £185,000 ($214,000 to $240,000, €195,000 to €218,000 or درهم787,000 to درهم882,000) at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire on 13th May 2017A Glory in Green – 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 – Silverstone Auctions will sell the car with an estimate of £165,000 to £185,000 ($214,000 to $240,000, €195,000 to €218,000 or درهم787,000 to درهم882,000) at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire on 13th May 2017 A Glory in Green – 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 – Silverstone Auctions will sell the car with an estimate of £165,000 to £185,000 ($214,000 to $240,000, €195,000 to €218,000 or درهم787,000 to درهم882,000) at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire on 13th May 2017

  • Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’

    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?

     

    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    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
    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    Tamara Ecclestone and husband Jay Rutland (pictured with Donna Air behind them) might be moneyed, but where’s the class?
    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    Stephen Fry and husband Elliott Spencer are a duo willing to turn up to the opening of an envelope
    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    If you really want to lower the tone, invite champagne swiller Dawn Ward and her ex-footballer husband
    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    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)
    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    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
    Bored of Black Tie, Crushed by ‘The Club’ – Death of Black Tie Balls – As black tie bonanzas deservedly take a bashing, we ask: “What’s next for Britain and America’s party paraders?” – Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Tamara Ecclestone, Jay Rutland, Dawn Ward, Ashley Ward, Elliott Spencer, Stephen Fry, Alexa Chung, Esther Rantzen, Anthea Turner, Grant Bovey
    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
  • Jack Turner – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    Jack Turner – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    A 20-question interview with English born, Los Angeles based actor and musician Jack Turner

     

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

    Treat people well. Try and learn your blind spots.

     

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

    Be nice, but don’t get shat on.

     

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

    Everything seems to be acceptable. People are being absolutely despicable because of messaging they see from those in power. Perhaps the only unacceptable thing is calm and clear discourse.

     

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

    My family and Weymouth Beach.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    Everyone having some.

     

    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?

    That, and the political system (similar principles), make me most unhappy to be an atheist.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    “Reach out”. The word I maybe most love is “tosspot”.

     

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

    I think there’s a threshold of financial and social safety below which there is no hope to ascend, and that people below that threshold need help. What we have in the UK and US would be considered a ludicrous luxury in many places. I personally just donated a pretty solid sum to Syria and Somalia.

     

    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?

    I wish my phone would blow me up. These devices are ruining people’s presence, empathy, and ability to talk. I just read a great summary of the evidence linking socialization and our neurobiology. When you consider socialisation is being replaced by phones, I fear sociopathy will rise massively. Put the fucking phone away, or on silent if you just can’t be without it, you tosspot.

     

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

    People without phones, who can like each other even if they disagree. I pick my girlfriend and my mate Monte. Anyone else is welcome. That should ignite some fun.

     

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

    Curry from Mirch Masala in Tooting, and bitter. Followed by red velvet cake and some Law Estates Cab.

     

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

    Not so much a case of “Is this acceptable?” as: “Will my body reject this now?”

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    I don’t know what a Negroni is. Martinis are frightening. So I’ll go for some tea, please.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    Those I curate carefully to avoid tosspots. Because I loathe tosspots.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    My girlfriend. I’m lucky enough that this is a pretty competitive decision, but she takes the cake.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Aforementioned red velvet cake. And guitars.

     

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

    I don’t like tattoos, which I think sums me up.

     

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

    Public transport or a bicycle. I now realise both sound dirty.

     

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

    To my shame I didn’t know what an incredible singer she was. I thought she was just a host. That surprised me. I’m a terrible singer. Which maybe makes it surprising that I was in a great band and continue to make music. Check out our old stuff if you’re interested – Cable Car on Spotify, iTunes, etc.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    Our place isn’t fancy enough to have a mantlepiece. However, we do have a cupboard, upon which we put meaningful things. My mum potted me an Oscar statue, which we call ‘Oscar’. Probably unoriginal, but, I think it’s very sweet, and I’ll take what I can get.

     

    Jack Turner grew up in Weymouth, Dorset, where he was a dubiously-skilled mackerel fishing tour guide. He studied psychology at Oxford before working for Google in London and San Francisco. He’s now an actor in Hollywood and has starred in Netflix’s ‘The 10 Year Plan’ and Hallmark’s ‘My Summer Prince’.

     

    Follow him on Twitter at @jackoturner and Instagram at @jaxonturner.

     

  • A Pointedly Pricey Plot

    A Pointedly Pricey Plot

    Seriously expensive waterfront building plot goes on sale outside San Francisco; it comes with plans for the perfect home for a tech titan

     

    14.5 acres of forested land with 2,000 feet of frontage to San Francisco Bay shoreline has gone on sale for what could be one of the highest prices ever for a single residence building plot in Northern California.

     

    2800 Paradise Drive in Tiburon, Marin County comes with planning permission for a 16,000 square foot main residence, a 2,200 square foot guest house and a 700 square foot caretaker’s cottage and is also described as ‘The Bluff Point Estate’. It is situated six miles east of the US 101 Tiburon Boulevard interchange and is described as being “within minutes of downtown Tiburon and the Golden Gate Bridge”.

     

    A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)
    A rendering of the proposed house at 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America
    A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)
    An aerial view of the entire plot
    A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)
    Real estate investor Maxwell Drever pictured at the adjoining Drever Estate, Paradise Drive, Tiburon in 2012

     

    The last remaining piece of land of this size to remain undeveloped in this area is adjoined by the palatial Drever Estate – which, according to SF Luxe’s Damion Matthews, was marketed for $37 million in 2010 (the equivalent of $41 million, £31.7 million, €37.6 million or درهم150.6 million today) by Concierge Asset Management chairman Maxwell Drever and his wife, Janice. It is described as providing an opportunity to create “a world class super low density single owner residential estate”.

     

    Offered by Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty, 2800 Paradise Drive is vacant, entirely fenced and has a dirt fire access road. It includes native oak, bay, eucalyptus and pine woodland, sandy beaches and proposed designs by Booth Hansen architects of Chicago illustrate a 6 reception room, 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom residence that will come with “an art gallery entrance, a swimming pool, a terrace garden and a photovoltaic renewable energy (solar) collection area”.

     

    2800 Paradise Drive will likely be sold to a Bay Area tech titan seeking the ultimate in “privacy and security”. They’ll need to have £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million) spare (before building costs).

     

    A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million) A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)A Pointedly Pricey Plot – 2800 Paradise Drive, Tiburon Peninsula, Marin County, California, CA 94920, United States of America – For sale through Bill Bullock and Lydia Sarkissian of Global Estates Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty for £36.3 million ($47 million, €43.1 million or درهم172.7 million)

  • Gilded Glory

    Gilded Glory

    New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion” for sale for £38.75 million; it comes with a room that cannot be wiretapped

     

    An Upper East Side “Beaux Arts palace on a small scale” described as “Manhattan’s last intact Gilded Age mansion” has gone on sale for £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman.

     

    Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”
    854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America

     

    Offering 20,000 square foot of accommodation over nine floors, 854 Fifth Avenue stands opposite Central Park and between 66th and 67th Streets. It was built in 1905 for a stockbroker named Robert Livingston Beeckman and constructed by architects Warren & Wetmore at a cost of $60,000 (the equivalent of $1.6 million, £1.2 million, €1.5 million or درهم5.9 million today). The residence was landmarked by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as a “superb example of the French classic style of Louis XV” in 1966 and to this day, the 32-room property retains original features including hand-carved balustrades of white marble, ceiling frescoes of angels and clouds, an original working stove and two of the city’s first private elevators.

     

    Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”
    Robert Livingston Beeckman (1866 – 1935), Emily Thorn Vanderbilt Sloane White (1852 – 1946) and Henry White (1850 – 1927)

     

    Sold next to George Grant in 1912 after Beeckman – later 52nd Governor of Rhode Island – abandoned New York to spend more time at his Newport estate, Lands End, for a then record sum of $725,000 (the equivalent of $18.3 million, £14.1 million, €16.8 million or درهم67.2 million today), 854 Fifth Avenue was then offloaded to Henry White and his heiress wife Emily Thorn Vanderbilt Sloane White for the much lower sum of $450,000 in 1925 (the equivalent of $6.3 million, £4.9 million, €5.8 million or درهم23.1 million today).

     

    Twice married financier of New York’s Sloane Hospital for Women Thorn Vanderbilt Sloane White and her ambassador husband are said to have “added their own touches” to the mansion and after she died, 854 Fifth Avenue was sold to the then nation of Yugoslavia. It has served as a government building since and was most recently used as the Permanent Mission of Serbia and Mission of Serbia to the UN.

     

    Bombed on 11th July 1968 but thankfully subject to little damage in that attack, the mansion still to this day features a ‘Faraday Cage’ – a secret metal-padded room where officials could meet without the fear of being wiretapped – as well as bulletproof windows to its Central Park elevation.

     

    Last week, of the property, Tristan Harper of Douglas Elliman told The Real Deal:

     

    “Everything is virtually intact. Whoever buys it will own a piece of New York history. [The six individuals who have already expressed interest in purchasing 854 Fifth Avenue are] all extremely high-net-worth individuals of different backgrounds”.

     

    Once bordered by houses of a similar scale, 854 Fifth Avenue is now adjoined by two behemoth-like apartment complexes. It stands sturdy and represents a little reminder of the glorious era of Carnegies, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Whitneys.

     

    Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion” Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”Gilded Glory – 854 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10065, United States of America – £38.75 million ($50 million, €45.96 million or درهم183.65 million) with Douglas Elliman – New York’s “last intact Gilded Age mansion”

  • Alfie Best – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    Alfie Best – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    A 20-question interview with self-made businessman and star of ‘My Fat Gypsy Fortune’ Alfie Best

     

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

    For a man to know where he is going, he must remember where he is from.

     

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

    Life is a light, it is your job to make it shine brighter.

     

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

    Internet trolls who are brave behind keyboards.

     

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

    Time.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    More time.

     

    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?

    If you treat the bank as a bank, they will treat you as a customer but if you treat the banks as a partner within your business and build your relationship with the management of the bank, they will consider you as a partner and offer much more insight and help which it is own way, is free to you as a business.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    “We have a problem”; one man’s problem is another man’s opportunity.

     

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

    I do believe charity begins at home but I also believe giving is not as good as teaching. If you give a man a fish, he will feed his family for a night, show the man how to fish and he will feed his family for a lifetime.

     

    We’re actually setting up own charity – Wyldecrest Parks Charity – which hopefully we’ll be able to help vulnerable people in need.

     

    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?

    Connection is unbelievable and the forward bounds it has given us a society is unprecedented but we have to remember not to become disconnected from society.

     

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

    I would fill the carriage with my family and friends and invite Tracy Chapman and the musical artist Rodriguez; I would look for them to enjoy the ride and party whilst it lasted.

     

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

    Pie, mash and liquor at the White House with the President to try and get a reprieve whilst eating my last meal.

     

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

    6:30am with a nice cup of lemon tea.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    A cup of tea.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    I enjoy my son’s parties because the charisma he brings to the room is like a ray of sunshine on the beach.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    Me.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Chocolate.

     

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

    If I were to have a tattoo, it would state ‘BEST’ across my back because it would mean the best is behind me and there is even better to come.

     

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

    A black Lamborghini.

     

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

    After becoming a millionaire at 20, I nearly went bust and slept in my car for 3 months.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    A backward clock – it confuses everyone!

     

    Alfie Best is a successful entrepreneur driven by tenacity. With humble origins, born and raised in a Romany Gypsy family, this self-made man started his professional path totally from scratch. Alongside Wyldecrest Parks, Alfie Best also owns other very successful businesses within the hospitality and leisure, events, trading and finance industries including Vinyl Bar, Kyoto Furniture, Axiom Uno and Wylde Event Management.

     

    Follow him on Twitter at @alfiebest33.